Life and Death
by KoreanGal5
Summary: Death. That is the newest trial Hinata faces. It isn't all that she thought it was though. A deep plot. Secrets. Strategy. Those from life return as well, becoming people anew. What occurs is no accident. It's all with purpose to defeat one man. Him.
1. What Happened?

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach.

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~Hinata's Point of View (PoV)~

_Where am I? _I woke up with a headache. _What happened? _Then I remembered. _What a nightmare.

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_Flashback...

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Kiba-kun and I were walking with Akamaru-kun around town. I asked him if we could visit the clearing. He said sure. The clearing was a place that our team found while coming home from a mission once. We visited there often now. Well anyways, we came to the clearing. Normally, it was a peaceful place where you would think you were in a movie. It had a waterfall that made a rainbow. It had a small pond under it and the other parts of the clearing were filled with life. Flowers bloomed everywhere and bugs flew in and out. All in all, it was beautiful. At night, fireflies would light up the clearing and the moon and stars would come down to Earth to dance around in the small pond. I loved it. All the other teams knew about it too. They visited now and then too. Our team visited the most though.

Anyways, when we got there, everyone was there. I mean everyone. It seemed that Kiba-kun and I were the only ones that didn't come. Everyone had decided to go swimming that day and met here but forgot to tell us. Truth be told, I felt upset but I couldn't stay mad at them. It wasn't their fault that I was invisible to practically everyone. While everyone was laughing, I thought I heard something but it was nothing or so I thought. Everyone was laying down on the grass just relaxing when something came out in front of us. It had a white mask with red marks and blue marks on it.**(Imagine it.) **A gray, skinny body was under it. A hole cut through the chest. No one seemed to notice. That worried me a lot. It took a step towards us again and laughed evilly. It said in a deep voice, "You all look so good. Which one should I eat first?" That scared me. I nudged Neji-niisan, who was next to me and asked quietly, "Can you see it?" He looked at me like I was crazy. "What are you talking about?" he said with a scowl. "Nothing," I said quickly. "It's probably just my imagination." The more I looked at it, the more real I thought it looked. _How come no one can see it?_ It looked around some more. It looked straight in my direction. It looked at me and said, "Can you see me?" I hesitantly nodded a little. He laughed and bellowed, "Then you'll be my first victim!" It swung it's claw over Neji-niisan and me. I pushed Neji-niisan out of the way and jumped up. The ground where we once laid was crushed.

I ran up the arm and threw a kunai into its mask. It knocked it to the side and threw me off. I landed on a tree. The others were looking around confused in battle position. "C-Can't you see it?" I asked them. "What are we looking for?" TenTen-chan asked. "What happened?" asked Naruto-kun. _Was I so weird that only I could see it?_ "Shino-kun! Jump left!" I yelled. The monster had swung his arm. Where Shino-kun stood, was another dent. "Hinata. What do you see?" Shino-kun asked me. "I-I can't describe it. Sakura-chan punch up!" I said then yelled. The monster was thrown back and knocked down some trees. It growled and said, "If I can't get you or your friends, I'll just kill you all!" Suddenly, everyone threw a kunai at it. "C-can you see it now?" I asked. "Not exactly!" Sakura-chan said while jumping to dodge an attack. "It's like a blur but we can tell where it is," Kiba-kun said while throwing a kunai.

It jumped towards Naruto-kun with it's clawed hand raised. He pushed it back with a kunai but the monster threw it's other hand at his side. Before I knew it, I was in front of him. I had taken the hit for him. I was bleeding a lot. I winced but didn't hesitate to slash off its claws and jump towards its face. I wedged a kunai into its mask and dropped on the ground. I staggered and was breathing heavily. It had torn at my lungs and heart. The monster disintegrated and even though I was dying I felt ok. My vision began to fade and I fell. "Hinata-chan!" I heard my friends yell. That was it. I blacked out afterwards.

I lapsed in and out of consciousness for who-knows how long. I had just been starting to get along with Neji-niisan. I wanted to take the Chunin exams. I wanted to be a Jounin. I was trying to gather up enough courage to tell Naruto-kun I loved him. I wanted to be an Anbu captain. I wanted to be clan leader. I wanted to free the branch members but now? What's going to happen?

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_End of Flashback...

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So where exactly was I? I looked around. I was still in the clearing. It was around four o'clock and the sun was setting. My friends sat all around the pond. They were crying. It was drizzling and all the senseis were standing behind their team. They looked like someone just died. I ran up to Kurenai-sensei and said, "Sensei? Sensei? What happened?" I reached to pull on her sleeve but my hand fell right through and I fell into the pond. _What happened?

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**That's it. I got this idea from recent crossovers I've read. Most people seem to like Hinata going with Hitsugaya but I'm not sure if I should do that. Review telling me if I should or not. I know that I have the other fanfiction but I just wanted to write this.**


	2. I Want to Stay A While Longer

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I got the idea from some fanfiction I read. I thought it was good and wanted to make my own. I kind of used some of his/her ideas so yeah. Hope you enjoy.**

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_~Hinata's Point of View (PoV)~

I should have fallen into the lake or at least stood on the top. I should have made some type of noise. I should have been noticed. The thing was, none of this happened. Instead, I eerily was inches above the surface on my hands and knees. That's when I noticed something. A chain was coming out of my chest and was dangling on the surface of the water. I stood up and took a good look at myself from the lake surface, or at least as best as I could in the rain.

I was wearing a light blue kimono that ended a little above my ankles. Little lavender lily pads floated on the bottom while pink cherry blossom petals floated around my left hip to my right shoulder. A full moon looked in between the middle of these petals and a white butterfly flew around my right hip. My hair was up in a ponytail with a little white butterfly accessory pinned on it. I was barefooted and had a little container of ointment I had brought with me to the clearing in a pocket. I had a simple chain necklace with nothing on it. _What was going on?_

The chain that was hanging out of the middle of my chest suddenly shortened. What happened exactly was that the end of the chain had a mouth appear out of nowhere and ate part of itself. It ate two links and it hurt. It hurt a lot. I bit my lip from crying out. _What was that?_ I felt someone appear behind me as the rain grew harder and I quickly turned around and got into a defensive position while holding a kunai out. "I'm not here to deal with stubborn ghosts like you. I'm looking for something. Move it," said the guy, stoically. He had white spiky hair and green eyes that looked like Gaara-san's. He was dressed in black and white and had a sword strapped to his back. He was a bit taller than me, which led me guess he was around 14 or 15 years old. "G-Ghosts?" I asked hesitantly.

I tried to deny it in my head but…it all makes sense. I had died from that attack. That's why I was floating. That's why I fell through Kurenai-sensei **(teacher)**. It's the reason why I had turned completely invisible to everyone. "Yeah. You're a ghost. Don't you know that?" he said coldly. "I-It doesn't matter. No one's noticed me before. C-Can I…help you?" I said hesitantly. He looked at me indifferently and said, "Unless you've seen a Hollow, you can't." "H-Hollow?" I asked. "W-Was that what it was? Is that what nearly…killed us?" His eyes widened the tiniest bit and he asked, "What are you talking about?" "I-I mean…Umm…Something attacked us here. Wh-What's a Hollow?" "It's a spirit that has many uncertainties and turns over to the dark side I guess you could say. You can tell it's a Hollow by the white mask it wears and the hole through it's chest. Did you see it?" he said in monotone.

I nodded hesitantly. "Where did it go?" he asked quickly. I bit my lip and said, "I-I don't know. I blacked out. I guess that's how I died." He sighed and said, "Either way. I'll send you to the Soul Society. Don't die there because if you do, you won't have another chance." He lifted his sword and aiming to hit me in the forehead with the butt of his sword. Truth was, I dodged it. "C-Can I stay here for just a while longer please? I-I want to go to my funeral," I asked him sadly. "You want to stay for your funeral?" he repeated.

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~Toshiro Hitsugaya's PoV~

_Who wants to stay for their funeral? Most spirits couldn't wait to go._ I simply nodded, giving her permission. "I'll find you after the funeral so I can send you to the Soul Society," I said. Then, I ran off to find if there were any Hollows.

As I surveyed the area, I found no trace of any Hollows. There was a report about big Hollow activity around here but it seemed not. Oh well. I should just find more spirits to send back.

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~Hinata's PoV~

After he left, I crouched by the waterfall and wondered to myself. _Would Otou-sama _**(Father)**_ come? Will they remember me? How would Okaa-san _**(Mother)**_ react to see me again? _As if by some weird coincidence, the chain on my chest ate itself again. I counted 3 links this time. I whimpered quietly. Kiba-kun glanced at my direction and began blinking rapidly. He was holding back tears. I'm sure of it. Later that day, everyone left and walked home. I followed Neji-niisan **(older brother)** home and he walked out a couple minutes later wearing all black holding a white lily and something else in his palm. His face was downcast and he walked slowly as though each step was proving to him that it was right and that he couldn't change it. I walked next to him and walked the way I would when I was alive. My eyes were on the feet ahead of me with both hands clasped on top of each other. He stopped suddenly. I almost bumped into him. Well, almost fell through him technically. Anyways, as I stopped, I looked around.

I was in the graveyard. So I really was dead. The funeral was large and I saw almost everyone I knew. Almost everyone, but one. There were tables set up in rows and behind that, a coffin laid open and inside was my body.**

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So far I think it's ok. If there are any problems please tell me and review please. If you want. **


	3. Listen to This

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I got the idea from some fanfiction I read. I thought it was good and wanted to make my own. I kind of used some of his/her ideas so yeah. Hope you enjoy. **

**MUST READ!!!: This is after Sasuke left. So technically, let's say this would be the second Chunin exam she would have taken.**

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~Hinata's Point of View (PoV)~

The coffin was opened and inside laid my body. I (the one in the coffin) was wearing a white kimono with a blue ribbon tying around it. My hair was put in a bun with a pink flower pinned to it. My headband was clutched between both hands. There was not a single speck of blood on me. It almost seemed as though I was sleeping but I've never seen myself sleep so I'm not sure. After everyone laid his or her flower down, I took a good look at the picture. I nearly cried. They had made a frame. The center picture was of me in my Hyuga stance. All around borders, more pictures were there which made a frame. One was a picture of me sleeping, leaning on a tree. Another was of me laughing when it was my birthday. Some of them were of when I helped Shino-kun collect bugs or Kiba-kun wash Akamaru-kun. It was really…nice of them…

Kurenai-sensei came up to the podium. She took a breath and said, "When I first met Hinata, it was when we were first assigned to our team. I thought that this was not good. My first student I had was like her and I failed her so I was scared. I thought that I would fail again. She had so much potential. She could have become an Anbu captain with little help. So I wondered, 'What is she doing here then?' As I got to know her, I found that all she lacked was confidence. It had a gap in it that I wasn't sure I could fix. As time passed, she became more confident. She always seemed so happy. Somehow I knew that deep inside, she had a wound in her heart but she never gave up. I always worried about her but I almost fell for her acting. Almost that is. When I talked to her about it, she told me, 'I-It's nothing important but I just wish that kaa-san **(mother)** was still alive. Then…maybe the Hyuga clan could rest easier.' I've got to say, I've never met anyone like her or I don't think I ever will. She always thought about others before herself and didn't once complain. Whatever happens, whatever she is faced with, I think that if anyone, she'll never give up hope. Even in the afterlife, I'm sure that she hopes to meet us again some time. I'll miss her but I can practically hear her telling me, 'Daijobou. **(I'm fine.)** Worry about yourself.' I can pretty much say that she changed all of us. Everyone had a different opinion about her. My opinion may be different, but I think that she will be ok. Wherever she is." She walked off, but not before glancing at my body one more time.

Neji-niisan **(older brother)** walked up now. He started, "I'm speaking for all the branch members when I say that we'll miss her…When she was younger, we always thought, 'She'll be just another person to bully us.' We never would have expected anyone like her to be part of the main branch. The first time we met was on her third birthday actually. Later, I heard some of the maids talking. They talked about how neat she was and how sweet she was. It was funny. I tried to hate her. Think that it was her fault for everything but I couldn't. She would forgive me for anything. It really was hard but I got myself to believe it. Think that she was the entire reason. Now that she's dead though…I can't blame her. She didn't choose to be born at that time. She didn't choose to be kidnapped and as I look back at it…I regret it. Hinata-sama! If you can hear me would you forgive me?" He held back tears and stepped down. Then Kiba-kun walked up.

So many people had so many things to say. Kiba-kun and Shino-kun said that they thought I had gone far. The rest of Neji-niisan's team thought that I was probably in a better place. (Or as Lee-kun called it, 'The most respectful place with the biggest burning sensation of springtime youth!!!) Naruto-kun apologized for not noticing me. Naruto-kun's team, which was pretty much Sakura-chan, thought that I was sweet. Ino-chan's team thought that I would be doing the things I loved best. The sand siblings sent a letter that said that they'd miss me. I felt so happy. It was ironic how I got acknowledged after I died. Then, Tsunade-sama went up. It was an honor just to have her speak in my funeral.


	4. Huh?

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I got the idea from some fanfiction I read. I thought it was good and wanted to make my own. I kind of used some of his/her ideas so yeah. Hope you enjoy.**

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~Hinata's PoV~

Tsunade-sama walked up to the podium and said, "I remember when I first met Hinata. She was in the hospital and she was in the emergency care room. Even though they had stabilized her, her heart was still very weak and if she didn't get surgery soon, she might not live for very long. It was a hard surgery and I nearly failed so many times. I stayed by her side to make sure she was ok. When she woke up, she glanced at me and smiled. It was a small smile but it seemed like everything was worth it. She saw me and said quietly, 'Arigatou. **(Thank you.)** I'm so happy that someone like you took the time to help me.' She fell asleep right after but she kept on smiling. I've got to say that she's special. She always seemed to make everything classy. She always had this warm shine that made you just want to run up to her and cry out all your problems onto her and somehow…you could tell that she'd listen. I hadn't known that she was the Hyuga heiress at the time. I had just thought, 'She's blind but she never complains. I wonder why.' When I found out that she was the heiress I was seriously surprised. She was so different from all the other Hyugas. I told her all about my past and she listened well. Afterwards she told me, 'You can't do anything about the past. No one can. What you can do is make sure it doesn't happen again. If you wallow in pity all your years, you might as well kill yourself now or you can grow up. You have to understand that no one has a perfect life. I always told myself that when I was young. Now, I don't want anyone to wallow in pity like I did and waste years of their lives. That's why I want to…I want to help everyone in my world. Even if it's only a couple of people, I want to help them and know that I'm not useless.' The words she said inspired me to become a great Hokage. She inspired me to help everyone in my world too. That's why I think that Hinata wasn't just any ninja. Although she was so young, she had so much wisdom. Wherever she is, I want to thank her. I want to wish her happiness and I want to say Arigatou. For everything I must say Arigatou." She walked off.

I could feel tears running down my cheeks, but for once, I didn't care. I wanted to cry. I wanted to let out my emotions even if it were just for a second. Even…if….for…a…second…The leaves seemed to blow in slow motion. Was I in a genjutsu? I seemed to be on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. The sun was setting it seemed. From behind me, I heard something. I reached for my kunai and turned around only to find I was face-to-face with a giant wolf. Her coat was a shiny black. Her eyes were a piercing blue. She practically radiated warmth and seemed very mysterious. She was lying down on the grass and she looked at me as though she were expecting something. "Hello there," she said softly. _Is that wolf talking?!_**

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Sorry it's short.**


	5. My Promise

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I got the idea from some fanfiction I read. I thought it was good and wanted to make my own. I kind of used some of his/her ideas so yeah. Hope you enjoy. Oh and –niisan means older brother I do believe. Thank you to all people who are still reading this! ^_^**

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~Hinata's PoV~

_Why is there a wolf talking?…Where am I?…_The wolf looked at me expectantly. The wolf whispered quietly to the wind, "Do not fear child. There is no need." I relaxed a little, still wary.

"W-Where am I?" I asked hesitantly. She stayed silent and closed her eyes. She lifted her nose to the air, as though she were sniffing something.

"Ah, my child," she began, "let us continue this another time." With that, the background faded and I was back in Konoha. Oddly enough, no time had passed, making me wonder if that was a dream or not.

Suddenly, I feel so confident and yell out, despite the fact that no one can hear me, "Minna-san! **(Everyone!)** If you can hear me, I want you to listen. Daijoubou! **(I'm fine!)** I'm free! Gomennasai! **(Sorry!)** Demo **(But)** I'm dead and I'm going to stay that way. I can't do anything right now with you. I can't stay and cheer you on! Despite that fact, I want to work hard. Even though I'm dead, my promise is that even though I can't work with you, I'll work for you, wherever I am and go, I'll miss you all. My home, my friends, and all the fun we had. I'll miss them.

Demo, like a wise man once told me, 'The will of fire burns deeply within us. My people will never give up. Never give up to you or give up hope.' **(Sarutobi is supposed to say this. I don't think he really said this though. If he did, that would be awesome!)** I'm going to keep this promise for him, past my grave," my voice became softer. I closed my eyes and thought………

I opened them again and said with much emotion, "I promise to do my best as Hinata Hyuga, friend, comrade, daughter, heiress, and kunoichi…I promise that I'll be me and no one else. I'll be the best I can be because I know you're all close to my heart and I can never forget you." As I looked around, everyone seemed to be crying. Slowly the rain began to clear up.

Then a proud, loud voice rang out, "Hinata-chan! Wait for me in the afterlife, ok?! Then we can kick butt together! I'll even bring Teme **(****B!st!rd****)** and Sakura-chan along!" _Naruto-kun…_

"Don't make decisions for us baka! **(idiot!)**" **(Sakura)**

Another voice called out, "Hey Hinata-chan! You better train because when I get there, we're gonna have a spar and I plan on coming out on top!" _TenTen-chan…_

"I hope you get better at stealth because when Ino-pig and I get our hands on you, we're gonna go and make sure you have cute clothes!" _Sakura-chan…_

"What'd you call me Forehead?! When we get to the afterlife, you can support me Hinata-chan!" _Ino-chan…_

"What are you talking about?! She'll support me!" **(Sakura)**

One after another, voices began calling out. Some loud and boisterous. Others quiet and wishful. All of them talking to me…I smiled and breathed in some fresh air. _I'll miss Konoha. I wasn't lying. Demo, I'm not going back on my promise either! It's a fact!_**

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Sorry it's so short, but school has been torture. Hope you understand. **

**ALL READERS ATTENTION PLEASE!!!: I edited parts of it so my suggestion is that you go back and reread the other chapters. If you don't, you may be slightly confused. (P.S. Reviews motivate me more.) My parents also think that this website has a virus so I have to do it in secret. Wish me luck.  
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	6. Beginning A New

**Hey readers! I'm back again. Since it's summer, I'm hoping to write more chapters and hopefully finish a story. Wish me luck and thank you for staying faithful. (P.S. I do not own Naruto or Bleach)

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~Naruto's PoV~

I feel really bad about not noticing Hinata-chan. When I look back, all those hints were so _obvious_. Why was I so…so _dense?_ You know, I can still see her. It's kind of a blur, like the monster that killed her. Oh my kami **(god)**, how could she have died? Thinking back, I could still remember how I thought my life was going to end. I saw everything go in slow motion as she rushed in front of me. I can remember how her blood had smeared on my clothes. I can remember her pained smile before she attacked the monster. How that monster flashed in a bright light, before my friends and I found us above her, listening to her last breathes. Oh my kami, how could this have happened to Hinata-chan?

I could still see her, right now, smiling while looking at us. I wondered. Was she disappointed in us? (Most likely not.) Was she relieved about being in heaven? (There was definitely no way she was down in h3ll.) Was she sad about our tears? (Probably.) Was she frustrated with any of us? (What a stupid question.)

I looked around. _Hinata-chan, look around. Do you see all of this? Everyone is mourning for you. Did you know that everyone in the village had loved you? Did you know that your Otou-san_ **(Father)** _was crying his eyes out in his office? (Neji told me.) Did you know that everyone secretly called you Daraku Tenshi _**(Fallen Angel)** _because you were always there for everyone, like an angel on Earth? Did you ever think that so many people would be crying over you? How about shinobi _**(ninjas)**_ having to be threatened and promised to remain at their post, instead of coming to your funeral? _

When I think about these questions, I think _Of course not! How would you know? Everyone was trying to keep it a secret_. _Because…because…everyone was so scared. They were scared that you would somehow mess up this amazing view of this amazing person who never gave up and was always willing to lend a hand. They were fearful because they thought maybe, just maybe, that you were too good to be true. With a single touch, would you disappear? Would you return to your heaven to serve Kami? Would you turn out to be some villain who "disposed" of you? Would you be captured for ransom? What would happen?_

_My kami Hinata-chan. Why were you so pure? Why were you so kind and forgiving? Where was your breaking point? Did you even have one? My kami. I wish you were still among us. You would take care of each of us. Making all of us smile and laugh? That's so f***ing easy for you! You'd carry each of the children in your arms, singing to them, putting them to a peaceful slumber. You'd help all the elderly and sick into bed and help them feel so refreshed with pampering. You'd let each and every one of the shinobi, the hard, cold, quiet ones and the soft, warm, loud ones crawl onto you lap and cry, letting them pour all their burdens onto you. They'd cry for every kill, every lost one, every mistake, everything they hate onto your ready shoulders. You'd support all this. Then you'd sing. The whole Earth would stop to hear. The birds would tilt their heads. The wind would quiet down. The water would still. The trees would bow their branches. The animals would freeze. All of this would happen just to hear you sing. It's literally like an angel's song. You singing is like the world becoming pure. So amazing, with indescribable words. I wish you were here now, singing to us. Kami, Hinata-chan. I wish you were here…_

"Minna-san! **(Everyone!)**" I heard someone cry out. "If you can hear me, I want you to listen." _Hinata…chan?_ "Daijoubou! **(I'm fine!)** I'm free! Gomennasai! **(Sorry!)** Demo **(But)** I'm dead and I'm going to stay that way. I can't do anything right now with you. I can't stay and cheer you on! Despite that fact, I want to work hard. Even though I'm dead, my promise is that even though I can't work with you, I'll work for you, wherever I am and go, I'll miss you all. My home, my friends, and all the fun we had. I'll miss them.

"Demo, like a wise man once told me, 'The will of fire burns deeply within us. My people will never give up. Never give up to you or give up hope.' I'm going to keep this promise for him, past my grave," her voice became softer. _Hinata-chan, what else could we ask, from you? I took away your life. We all took away your free time. What else could we ask?_

"I promise to do my best as Hinata Hyuga, friend, comrade, daughter, heiress, and kunoichi…I promise that I'll be me and no one else. I'll be the best I can be because I know you're all close to my heart and I can never forget you." _Why won't my tears stop? Hinata-chan…I get it now. You did this because you loved us…and it is because you love us that you are doing this…_Slowly the rain began to clear up.

"Hinata-chan!" I cried out. "Wait for me in the afterlife, ok?" _Not as a boyfriend. I'm sorry. I'm too tainted for you, Daraku Tenshi. Even so…_"Then we can kick butt together! I'll even bring Teme **(****Bstrd****)** and Sakura-chan along!"

Soon everyone began calling out. I could tell her coffin was still there, with all those flowers. Yet, all I saw was her smile. I could tell Sakura-chan hit me. Yet all I felt was her love swelling around us. I was aware of the rainfall and trees. Yet all I smelled was flowers. I was aware of the bitter aftertaste of death. Yet all I tasted was cinnamon. I was aware of other people talking. Yet all I heard was her singing.

~Hinata's PoV~

I turned around to find Shinigami **(Death God)**-kun behind me. He looked around.

"You must be popular. Barely any people out watching the walls and only one person sitting in their home," he said shortly.

"H-Hontoni? **(R-Really?)** E-Eto **(U-Umm)**…Can you tell me about who was sitting in their home?" I asked, slightly embarrassed that he had most likely seen what had happened here.

"Looks like you. Older though and a guy," he said, as though talking was wasting his breath. Speaking of which, I could hear him panting slightly, his breath making small white wisps in the winter air. _Otou-san…_

"E-Eto…Why don't we take a break. I'm sure that it will do us some good," I suggested.

"Iie. **(No.)** I'll send you off now. It won't take much energy. Although…I guess I'll wait a little longer," he decided.

I was relieved. He could have some rest while I could watch my friends a little bit longer. I began to sing…**(Naruto Shippuden Opening 5 a.k.a. Hotaru no Hikari (Light of a Firefly)**

_Sha la la... itsuka kitto  
Boku wa te ni surunda  
Hakanaki mune ni sotto  
Hikari moete yuke  
(Sha La La Someday, I'm sure I'll obtain it  
Softly in my fleeting heart, a light is burning)  
Aitaku naru no Shoutou  
Naki taku naru no Junjou  
Natsu no hi ni tobi konda  
Hotaru wa kae ra nai  
(The "urge" of wanting to see you, the "innocence" that made me want to cry  
The fireflies that flew into the fire of summer will not return)  
Anata wa nani mo iwazu  
Kuchizuke o nokoshite  
Kizutsu ku mama unazui nare  
Kanashii hodo inochi yurameite ita  
(Don't say anything, just leave me with a kiss  
Whilst being burnt, you nodded  
Life, to the point of sadness, flickered)  
Sha la la... itsuka kitto  
Boku wa te ni surunda  
Hakanaki mune ni sotto  
Hikari moete yuke  
(Sha La La Someday, I'm sure I'll obtain it  
Softly in my fleeting heart, a light is burning)  
Sha la la... itoshiki hito  
Anata mo miete iru no  
Mamayui tsuki ga sotto  
Ashita o terashite  
(Sha La La Person dear to me, you, too, can see it  
The dazzling moon softly illuminates tomorrow)  
Tsuyoku tsuyoku kagayaite...  
(Shining strongly, strongly…)  
Kaze ni fukareru hodo  
Hageshiku naru kokoro ni  
Hagure sou na omoide ga  
Mata yasashiku toboru  
(In my violent heart, the nearly lost memories  
That had been blown out are gently lit again)  
Muchuu de kakedashitara  
Furerareru ki ga shita  
Omomuku mama  
Te o nobasu yo  
Setsunai hodo inochi  
Yurameite yuku  
(I got the feeling that if I ran on in a daze, I'd touch it  
So I go on, arm outstretched  
Life, to the point of pain, flickers)  
Sha La La boku wa zutto  
Utai tsuzukete iku yo  
Furueru mune ni sotto  
Hikari moete yuke  
Sha La La itoshiki hito  
Anata ni todoku you ni  
Hatenai sora ni sotto  
Omoi tsunorasete  
(Sha La La I want to go on singing forever  
Softly in my shivering heart, a light is burning  
Sha La La Person dear to me, so that I can reach you  
Let these feelings softly be invited into the endless sky)  
Tsuyoku tsuyoku hibikasete  
(Let them resound strongly, strongly)  
Sha La La itsuka kitto  
Hotaru wa moetsuki chitte  
Kieyuku mune ni sottoYume yo kagayaite  
(Sha La La Someday, I'm sure  
the fireflies will stop lighting  
Softly in my disappearing heart, a dream is shining)  
Sha La La itoshiki hito  
Anata mo wasurenaide  
Kirameku natsu ni sotto  
Negai o kasanete  
(Sha La La Person dear to me, don't you forget, either  
Softly in the glittering summer, wishes are piling up)  
Sha La La itsuka kitto  
Boku wa te ni surunda  
Hakanaki mune ni sotto  
Hikari moete yuke  
Sha La La itoshiki hito  
Anata mo miete iru no  
Mabayui tsuki ga sotto  
Ashita o terashite  
(Sha La La Someday, I'm sure I'll obtain it  
Softly in my fleeting heart, a light is burning  
Sha La La Person dear to me, you, too, can see it  
The dazzling moon softly illuminates tomorrow)  
Tsuyoku tsuyoku kagayaite  
(Shining strongly, strongly)_

Shining strongly…I wonder if I could do that. Never hurts to try. That's for sure.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

"Time to send you to the Rukon District. You ready?" I asked her. She took several flowers out of them all. Secretly, I loved flowers and their meanings. As she touched each one, her already-large reiatsu **(spiritual pressure)** flared a bit. A white snowdrop. (Hope.) A pink allspice. (Compassion.) A pink alstroemeria. (Devotion and friendship.) A pink amaryllis. (Pride, timidity, and splendid beauty.) A white carnation. (Sweet, lovely, innocence, pure love, and good luck from a woman.) A yellow celandine. (Joys to come.) A blue forget-me-not. (True love, memories, and forget me not.) A yellow gladiolus. (Love at first sight, ready-armed, strength of character, and generosity.) A white guelder rose. (Winter and age.) A white lily. (Virginity, purity, majesty, and it's heavenly to be with you.) A white marjoram. (Blushes.) A variegated tulip. (Beautiful eyes.) A violet. **(Name and color.) **(Modesty and faithfulness.) A yellow yarrow. (Health and healing.) A mixed zinnia. (Thinking of an absent friend.)

We went back to the clearing, not letting go of the flowers at all. She stopped in front of the waterfall, a few seconds ahead of me. _She's fast._ She held all 15 flowers together in both hands and closed her eyes, her reiatsu hitting the roof. Suddenly the flowers began to glow. Then they looked smaller. They were _shrinking_. When she was done, she opened her hands to show charms for a bracelet, necklace maybe. Judging from her expression, she didn't know how she did it either. Except…there were two more…

~Hinata's PoV~

Leaves began to fly again as we landed in the clearing. The world began to spin like last time back then, just before my brave outburst. This time, unlike the last, I was prepared. As I turned to face the wolf, I did not pull out a kunai, although I did not let my guard down either.

"Ohayo **(Hello)**," she said softly, as though talking to a small child. I certainly felt like one. "You know, those charms are made for us. Let's use them well." She smiled a little.

"W-Who are you? What charms?" I asked cautiously.

"Oh. The charms? You'll see. As for my name, my name is—" she said simply.

"E-Eh? I didn't quite catch that," I said curiously.

"Ah, I forgot. You know my name. You just have to find it," she said as though we were talking about the weather.

"E-Eto…Find it?" I asked, confused.

"Hai. **(Yes.)** You must find it. I would explain, demo **(but)** it is easier to experience and learn rather than to explain and understand," she said. With that, she lifted her head and howled. The ground beneath my feet crumbled and I fell into the water. The loud splash was surprisingly gentle. The sunlight filtered down, allowing sight in this place. All around me were charms of flowers. They included the ones that I had picked and more.

"Pick the correct ones," the wolf's voice whispered in my ear. I swiveled, but she wasn't there. I began to focus on the task at hand. I could breathe perfectly fine, interestingly. I began looking around. There were so many. _What was I supposed to pick the correct ones of? Love? Hope? What?_

"How about land? You need that to hold you up, don't you? Include some heat too, unless you want me to freeze in here," she asked amused. She was right. The water seemed to be getting deeper and colder. I thought. _What flower means land? Maybe not land…Maybe…It might just work…How about heat? How about…Of course! Now to find it. _I tried to activate my Byakugan, but it would not work._ Urgh! Maybe…I was listening to my head. Maybe…I needed to follow my heart…_

" 'Atta girl!" I heard her yell behind my ear. It kind of reminded me of an…Okaa-san (Mother). I don't remember mine. Just a warm smile. A soft hand. A kind laugh. A beautiful person. She had died a month after my birth. I remember looking enviously at other children's' mothers.

I closed my eyes and stayed still. _That one!_ I enclosed my hand around two charms. I hesitantly opened my hand and looked at it. I had found them.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

She had 15 of them, now she had 17. The newest additions hadn't been anywhere on the table. A pink plum blossom. (Solidity, firmness, luck of 5 Chinese blessings.) A purple fleur-de-lis. (Flame.) Where did she get it? She unclasped her necklace with one hand and slid all but the two new charms onto her necklace. She clasped it again and wound it twice around her right wrist. The charms sparkled brightly, making a beautiful effect. She began to clench her (same) hand around the remaining 2 charms, her arms hanging. Her reiatsu was beginning to take on a warmer, more confident flare. Her hand began to draw blood, only for the wound to close up. My eyes began to widen. My phone suddenly began ringing like crazy._ What did this girl think she was doing?_

In her hand, something began to shine. _The two charms?_ She brought her right hand up and opened them. Portals began to open up around the clearing. The two charms glowed in a midnight color, not evilly, however. I put a hand on Hyorinmaru **(Ice ring)**. They lifted up from her hand, spinning gently. Level with her face, they began to spin wildly. The hollows crawled out of their portals. I got into a ready position. Her reiatsu was beginning to rise even more, making me feel out of breath even though I hadn't done anything. _How strong is her reiatsu?_

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of white light, and all the hollows disintegrated. Only several went into h3ll. In the place of the charms, stood a majestic katana, a zanpakuto **(soul-cutter sword)**. A little bit shorter than Hyornimaru, he/she had a look similar to Hyornimaru. The cloth on the handle, however, was white, and the scabbard showed flames engrained on one side. The other showed vines and flowers. The girl tentatively reached a hand out and held the handle, in a loose sort of way. The shining stopped and the sword dropped into the girl's hand. She held it in both hands after a while, unsure of what to do with it. I rolled my eyes. "Here I'll help you with that."

~Hinata's PoV~

"Here I'll help you with that," Shinigami-kun said. He reached over for the sword.

"A-Arigato **(Thank you)** Shinigami-kun," I answered. He found the sash and began tying it around my waist.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya. My name is not 'Shinigami-kun,' " he said in an annoyed voice. The sash wasn't tying well.

"A-Ah! Gomennasai. **(Sorry.)** My name is Hinata Hyuga," I said. "E-Eto…Here." I took the sash and just hung it on my shoulder like a pack. Kind of like his, I realized.

Hitsugaya-san looked me over. I tried not to fidget too much. He took out a phone and began doing something with it. Its beeping took up the silence.

"Let's go," he said finally.

* * *

**Finally!~ Done! I'm so proud! Almost 5 and 1/2 pages. =) I will never look over songs again. It took me forever to do that and find the right song at all. Whenever I read Naruto's PoV I get all teary. I can't believe I wrote that! =)**


	7. Info about Shinigami

**Let's hope I continue updating! =)**

**(PS I do not own Naruto or Bleach or any of the characters. I wish I did though…)

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~Hinata's PoV~

"Let's go," he finally said.

"E-Eto…**(U-Umm…)** Where are we going?" I asked quietly.

"Normally, I'd send you off with a Konso **(Soul Burial)** like most pluses. However, you've already created your zanpakuto **(soul-cutter sword)** under 12 hours after your death. You are a special case. Already, you have the chance of becoming a fine Shinigami **(Death god) **and breezing through your years at Shinōreijutsuin **(Spiritual Arts Academy)**, though it's usually referred to as Shinigami Academy," Hitsugaya-kun explained.

"So…" I thought over. "That means if I agree into becoming a shinigami, I could do it easily?"

"Baka. **(Idiot.)** You'd still have to work hard. It's just that you'd have a better chance than most people," he said.

"E-Eto…What is a Shinigami's job? It doesn't sound like anything that most people thought Shinigami did," I said. He looked at me for a while.

"You know," he finally said. "You have a lot more sense than most people."

"Arigatou **(Thank you)**," I said, slightly bowing. He smirked.

"Let's sit down. This is going to take a while," he said. We sat down under the shade of a tree, despite the fact that the sun wasn't shining a lot. "A Shinigami has two main jobs: 1) Sending pluses to the Soul Society and 2) Destroying hollows. Pluses and hollows are both souls, however, hollows are those who have too much regret or did too many evil deeds while they were alive. You see the chain in your chest? When that runs out, you'll become a hollow. It erodes more quickly when you have more anger or regret, things like that. Another way to become a hollow is if a hollow laid its hands on you. Now, a Shinigami uses many techniques to do this job. They use their zanpakuto, zanjutsu, hakudo, hoho, and kido. Are you with me so far?" I nodded, trying to absorb all the information.

We silently agreed to take a small break. I looked around. The snow was beautiful. I recalled how we (Rookie 9 and Neji-niisan's team) were all going swimming only a few hours ago. I swore we were getting sillier. It was okay though. I loved them. They were my life. Now they were my life even in death. I could tell I was slightly smiling. We went back to the lecture.

"Now the zanpakuto is what you use to send pluses to the Soul Society. You hit the handle to the soul's forehead and then the soul should glow and a black butterfly should appear. It's called a h311 butterfly. They are used to escort souls to the Soul Society and transport messages between captains. I'll get to that in a minute. Each zanpakuto is unique because it is based off the person and therefore, since each person is different, so is his or her zanpakuto. They each have their own name. Those whose name is not known are known as asauchi (shallow-hit) zanpakuto. Without knowing the zanpakuto's name, the power you can use is very limited. There are two other levels, shikai and bankai. Each level granting more power, each also harder to unlock at all. Usually people have one, but there have been a few instances where a person has two. Sometimes, people with no control come along. They are known as constant-release types. There are also times where two people can wield the same zanpakuto, which is also rare. When this happens, the two people, by law, must duel. The winner receiving partnership with the zanpakuto and the other sentenced to death, if not dead already.

"There are different sub-types of zanpakuto too. There are kido, elemental, and unclassified. Kido ones have a unique ability. It is unlike others; therefore it is a kido one. For example, defense, projectile, poison, etc. Those are sub-type kido zanpakuto abilities. As for elemental, it is as it says. It uses the elements to fight. So far, there have only been fire, ice, earth, water, wind, plant, light, and electricity. Of course, there are many more types, but those are the only ones discovered for now. Unclassified ones are ones with very unique abilities, but are unlike kido ones. If you decide to become a shinigami, you shall see what I mean. They have

"Then, zanjutsu **(cutting technique; "art of the sword")** is basically swordsmanship. You have to have at least a certain level of proficiency in it to become a shinigami. The most common technique is used to deal with low-level hollows and in some cases other hollows, Nadegiri. The "Clean Sweep" or "Killing Several With One Sword Sweep" uses force and speed to precisely cut the target. Slicing through large, multi-story high opponents protected with steel skin is very easy with this technique.

"Hakudo **(white hits)** is basically hand-to-hand fighting. Not many people elaborate on this subject. The masters of this art can take on average armed opponents and defeat enemies many times their own size. Most captains are pretty proficient at this…

"Let's see…Hoho **(Step Method)** or "Fast Movement" is used to walk on air and water by gathering reishi **(spirit particles)** to your feet and solidifying it. Shunpo **(Flash Step)** is a technique many Shinigami learn. It lets you move faster than the eye can follow. Of course, some people are more advanced in it than others.

"The last one is Kido **(Demon/Spirit Way)**, which is used in many different areas, such as defense, healing, and combat. There is a scale of 1-99, 99 being the most difficult and most effective spell. There are 3 main types: Bakudo **(Way of Binding)**, Hado **(Way of Destruction)**, and healing spells. There are several others, but it is unnecessary to know fully until you begin to study it as a Shinigami. Do I need to repeat anything?"

I shook my head. That was a long explanation and he wasn't even done. We took a five-minute break as to which I used to sort out all the information in my head. We got back to the explanation at 300 seconds exactly.

"The Gotei 13 are 13 subdivisions. The main leader, the captain-commander, leads all squads, including the other captains. Each squad has its own captain and lieutenant. The captain, or taicho, wears a white haori with their squad number on it with an underside color unique to their squad and has to be able to reach bankai. There are few exceptions to that; actually so far there have only been one. They can effectively use kido and hoho. There are only 3 ways to become a captain, all of which you don't need to know now. The lieutenant, or fukutaicho, wears a special arm plate with their squad number on it, though most do not unless there is a meeting, and are the best in their team, excluding their taicho. They have at least their shikai mastered and can act as a substitute taicho if need be.

"There are 20 ranks on the squad. Captains are obviously 1st and the lieutenants are 2nd. Most Shinigami stick to the usual uniform, but some customize it, adding things, exchanging things, things like that. I do believe that those are all of the basics. Would you like me to explain anything further?"

I thought for a moment. "E-Eto…Does that mean that Hitsugaya-kun is a taicho?" I questioned. It seemed likely. He had on a white haori with the number ten in a rhombus on the back.

He nodded. "Call me Hitsugaya-taicho. Are you going to become a Shinigami or not?" he asked slightly impatiently. I thought for a moment.

"Hai. **(Yes.)**"

* * *

**Finally! =) It took me forever to read all the information about the things and summarize it. If anything, this chapter is all about the Soul Society. I hope none of you fell asleep at the computer because of it. If you guys did, I'd feel so bad!  
**


	8. Rangiku, Shikai, Another One?, Menos

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. P.S. Thanks to all my readers, subscribers, and favorites.

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~Hitsugaya's PoV~

"Call me Hitsugaya-taicho **(captain)**. Are you going to become a shinigami **(death god)** or not?" I asked.

"Hai. **(Yes.)**"

"Let's go," I stated. I pulled out Hyorinmaru **(ice ring)** and held him in front of me. I turned him, like a key to open a door, and two paper doors appeared. As they opened, many h311 butterflies flew out. Several landed on her gently. She held them on her finger, giggling. _Kawaii…_**(Cute…)** _Gyah! What am I thinking? _She followed me as we walked through the doors. On the other side was Matsumoto, who couldn't help the chance to hug me into her chest complaining about paperwork.

"Taicho!~~~ I don't know how you can deal with all that paperwork. It was torture!~" she complained. I shoved her off.

"Baka **(Idiot)**, I was only gone for a few hours. Besides, I have to do your paperwork most of the time too!" I yelled at her. I felt a pull on my sleeve. I turned to her. It was Hyuga. She seemed on edge.

"W-Who's she?" she asked.

"This," I said, jabbing my thumb behind me, "is Rangiku Matsumoto, the lazy lieutenant of Squad 10 that never does her paperwork and drinks, a lot." Matsumoto peered over my shoulder.

"S-She's really pretty," she whispered. She noticed Matsumoto standing there. "A-Ah ohayo **(good morning)** lieutenant-san!" She bowed, very low. Matsumoto smiled before hugging her.

"You're so kawaii! What's your name? How old are you? Do you like sweets? Oh my gosh, you're so kawaii!" Matsumoto asked and squealed. I pulled her away from Matsumoto by her elbow.

"Matsumoto, this is Hinata Hyuga. I'm going to go talk to Yamamoto-taicho. Don't destroy the barrack while I'm gone." I turned around, Hyuga following. We walked for a while. When we finally came to Yamamoto-taicho's room, I knocked twice and waited patiently.

"Come in," his voice drifted through. I opened the door, bowing respectfully. I was surprised to see Hyuga a little ways behind me, bowing very respectfully. "Yes?" he questioned.

"I would like to enroll Hinata Hyuga from the elemental lands into the Shinigami Academy," I stated.

"Any special attributes?" he inquired.

"She has formed her zanpakuto **(soul-cutter sword)** under 12 hours from her death, knows only the basics, and has yet to show me much else," I answered. He looked over her with a calculating glance.

"Any suggestions, Hyuga-san?" he asked her.

"My zanpakuto suggests that I should study by myself, attending all classes once a week," she robotically stated.

"Approved under the condition that you do not fall behind in your studies and another," he permitted. Unohana came in and led her to a different room.

~Hinata's PoV~

"Arigato **(Thank you)** Taicho-san," I thanked.

"Retsu Unohana," she stated. She had helped me scrounge up some outfits, including several Shinigami Academy uniforms. It had a red undershirt, a white shirt with red stripes, red pants, white socks, white shoes, and the school emblem on both breasts on the outer shirt. It was rather simple. The other outfits included: a solid purple and solid blue kimono, several tank tops, some shirts, various under garments, and a few skirts and pants. There were also several hair bands.

In addition, she had given me a small pack to keep everything in. She helped me fit everything into the pack, showing me different ways to fold the clothes.

"Eto…**(Umm…)** Do you know what the other condition is, Unohana-taicho?" I asked. She handed me one of the school outfits.

"Iie. **(No.)** I am sure that you can do it though," she said, helping me take off my kimono and put on the school uniform. She ushered me back into the room.

"Ah, Hyuga-san. Would you happen to know your zanpakuto's name?" the captain asked as I came in. I nodded.

"Shikai as well, sir," I heard myself say. _Gyah! What do you think you are doing? I don't know shikai yet!_

"Would you like to demonstrate?" Taicho-san asked. _No!_ I felt myself nod.

I grasped her hilt (my zanpakuto) and pulled her out. She looked like a regular zanpakuto.

"Sutando jimen ni shikari ni, Yoganudewa **(Stand firm upon the ground, lava bracelet)**," I heard myself say. Then, Yoganudewa was engulfed in a bright light.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

While she was gone, Zaraki and Kuchiki had come in to talk to Yamamoto-taicho. As she came in, the two of them stood at their places. Not that she noticed anything different when she came in. Yamamoto-taicho asked her several questions.

"Shikai as well, sir," she answered. Just by looking at her, it was obvious that her zanpakuto was talking. You could also tell that she knew what was going on. There were slight twitches of her hand and her eyes held conflicted emotions.

"Would you like to demonstrate?" Yamamoto-taicho asked. She nodded, a little strained. _Definitely the zanpakuto talking._ Her hand grasped the hilt and pulled the sword out. It looked like a regular sword. The only difference was the white cloth, as most cloths are different colors, and a crescent moon tsuba. **(sword guard, usually round. Look it up.)**

"Sutando jimen ni shikari ni, Yoganudewa," she said slowly, enunciating everything clearly. It was covered in a flash of light. Her reiatsu **(spiritual pressure)** suddenly rose, greater than when she first got her zanpakuto and even more than when she had changed the flowers into charms. It was enough to make captains and shinigami within the area, avoid unpleasant things. For most of the captains, it was to not lose our breaths. For the weaker shinigami, it was fainting. For those in-between, it was emptying their lunches. For the upper-strength shinigami, it was choking. _What a great thing huh?_ **(Note the sarcasm.) **Very soon, luckily, the reiatsu faded until it was the exact same level before Hyuga had called out the shikai command.

As the light faded, we (as in all captains in the room, which was Yamamoto-taicho, Unohana, Kuchiki, Zaraki, and I) saw a brand new, unique zanpakuto. The hilt had stayed the same, just adding a charm at the bottom. A 4-pointed star, looking a lot like the one that was Hyorinmaru's **(ice ring) **tsuba, hanging on a thin, small chain. The sword had grown a bit, adding around 4 inches. It had a more accented curve, like Hyorinmaru's crescent-shaped shikai. In fact, it looked almost exactly like Hyorinmaru. There was silence.

_Clap! Clap! Clap!_ The silence was broken by Yamamoto-taicho clapping for her.

"Excellent," he stated. He dismissed the rest of us, asking me to stay. He handed her several things: a room key and a map.

"This is your room key for your dorm and a map of the school campus. Hitsugaya, why don't you get her registered," he commanded. I nodded. I left and she followed.

~Hinata's PoV~

It's been a while since that day. It's a few weeks into the Shinigami Academy. Now, I share a room with Hikari-chan **(Light)**. She's really sweet. She has long black hair and indigo eyes. She's my age, in her last year of the Academy having skipped some years. For 6 days of the week, I'd stay home and study while Hikari-chan went to her classes. We'd always help each other out with our studies. She'd help me in zanjutsu **(cutting technique; "art of the sword")** a lot. I wasn't very good at it, but with her help, I was able to get to a pretty advanced level. We were both pretty good at hoho **(step method)**, kido **(demon/spirit way)**, and hakudo **(white hits)** though I was better at those things than her, if my grades were any indication anyways. She, in a way, was like the light, to me. She'd treat me like a regular person. Most kids shunned me, because I was so advanced more so than those who had been there years. Today, was a day where I would stay in the dorm. She had just come back from classes and we were memorizing one of the hado **("way of destruction")** spells.

"Ok, the spell is '_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Shakkaho! _**(Shot of Red Fire)**_' _Now you try," she said, reading off of her notes. I thought for a moment.

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Shakkaho!" _I recited.

"Dang Hinata-chan! You're so lucky that you have such a great memory! I have to study!" she said, pouting a bit. I smiled a bit.

"Hikari-chan," I said gently, "what's your dream when you get out of Shinigami Academy?" I tried getting her mind off of the spell.

"Me? That's easy! I want to get onto Squad 4! You know my zanpakuto, Iyashihikari **(healing light)**?" I nodded. How could I? I could communicate with her. Apparently, both of us could wield Iyashihikari. We kept it a secret between the two of us. We didn't want to verse each other, especially since the other would end up dead. Therefore, she communicated with her _way_ more than I did.

"I didn't tell you much about her ability, did I?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Well, she's a healing zanpakuto as well as a light zanpakuto. I'll show you my notes later. We've been working on different healing moves. Did you know that Unohana-taicho is the one that brought me to the Academy? She was. I had been starving after being sent to the Rukongai **(wandering soul city)** with no name to call my own. All of a sudden, the Shinigami are patrolling the Rukongai and she comes to me, saying, 'Your reiatsu is certainly special, Hikari-chan.' I asked her if that was my name and she said, 'Only if you want it to be.' She was totally my role model afterwards!" Hikari-chan really admired Unohana-taicho and never failed to get fired up thinking of her goal. The rest of the day brought studying, laughs, and talk about the past…

The next day was the day that I'd have to go to the classes. After some rearranging due to "bullying affecting studying" I had all classes with Hikari-chan. First, we had some hakudo. Only she dared to be my partner. I had to admire everything about her. She had a special style. It involved dodging and darting in to attack every now and then. Even so, she was knocked around a lot by me. When we first fought, her exact words were, "Hold back on me and I'll knock _you_ around! Don't hold back and you'll knock _me_ around! It's ok to knock me around so that I can improve! So shut up! Start attacking! Don't you _dare_ go easy on me!"

The next class was Hoho. She had a slight fear of heights so when she went up too high in the air, she'd lose concentration. When I was with her, I would always help her. In the water, she was pretty good, until she saw something move. She nearly fell in the air twice and fell into the water once.

After, we went to kido. We both passed with flying colors. She struggled a bit for a second, but got it in the end. This had ended up as a pop quiz on 'Shakkaho' and we had both gotten a good grade.

We went to zanjutsu after. She knocked me around several times here. Though she had taught me until I was advanced, she was the top of this class while I was in for second, unlike the other classes where the position was switched.

For the next hour, we listened to history. She was pretty good at history, though she nearly fell asleep most of the time. Keyword: nearly. She never does in the end. She was a real light sleeper.

For the next class, we worked with our reishi **(spirit energy)** to communicate with our zanpakuto as well as learning better control of it.

"Ok class, everyone must come tomorrow for a practice exercise in the real world! We will be dealing with dummy hollows. Everyone must come otherwise forfeit their graduation this year!" Many groaned and complained. Some were fired up and began shouting. Hikari-chan? She was hyped up. She wanted to prove that she could do it. Me? I don't know. I wasn't too sure, but I could hear Yoganudewa cheering for me in my head. I could tell that she knew I was ready.

Yoganudewa and I have gotten a lot closer in these past few years. I can hear her voice no matter how far apart we are, on campus anyways. I am able to go into my inner world in a matter of seconds and materializing her into the real world will only take a few minutes. I hear that it is very hard and takes years to do so, but under a month of my death I had achieved it. Yoganudewa had two sides. She had a doting mother side and a responsible mother side. The doting one was more childish, squealing, "Kawaii!" and an impresser, suggesting things to make others like me more. The responsible one was always making sure I had everything I needed and made sure I studied and kept my mind on task. Both always encouraged me.

Before I knew it, it was the next day.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

"Taicho! There's been a real Hollow attack in the practice Hollow field!" Matsumoto came in, screaming.

"They're sending us? Why?" I asked her.

"Taicho! It's not any Hollow! It's a Menos Grande!" she yelled. I got up from my chair.

"Tebanasu **(Let's go)** Matsumoto!" I yelled, running out the door with shunpo **(flash step)**.

As we arrived, the instructor filled us in.

"The Menos is East from here, with two of my students. Both girls. Can't miss them." We didn't need much instruction. We could see the Menos from here.

"Get the students out of here. We'll handle this. Matsumoto!" We both left with shunpo, arriving at the scene under a minute.

She was there. I thought of her from time to time, truthfully. I never thought that she would be like this. I never thought that she would be here. I never thought that we would meet again. Yet, fate is cruel. Because, she was like this. She was here. We did meet.

She was being choked by the Menos, which was pretty small for a Menos. A body with long hair lay a bit off, blood drying from the center of her back. Her zanpakuto was loosely clutched in her hand. Hyuga's zanpakuto was on the floor. Exactly at the point it should have been if she had dropped it from that height. Exactly at the point it should have been if she had given up.

* * *

**The names are shortened, like Yoganudewa was supposed to be Yogan no Udewa and Iyashihikari was supposed to be Iyashi no Hikari. (PS For those of you who didn't notice, Hinata's shikai is just about the same as Toshiro's, in appearance. The only main difference is the crescent and star are switched in the charm on the bottom and tsuba.) The translations might not be exact. (PS Thanks to Kuroi Bara-676 and Google translate. ;) It was lots of help.)**


	9. Hikarichan, have fun!

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach and I say hi! =D (P.S. Word~=elongating the word, like instead of 'hey' it's like 'hhheeeyyy'. Since some people talk like that when they're pissed off or annoyed. Example: When Shigure in Fruits Basket is calling Yuki out to shower so he says, 'Oiiiiiiiiii" or something like that. I hope you readers get what I mean. I'm not the best at explaining.)**  
**Reading back on this, I also realized that Naruto should be at his training mission with Jiraiya so I'm going to say that he was visiting during that time.**

* * *

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

Her sword had blood at the tip and handle. Her hands were bloody, holding the sword too tight without a doubt. Her arms were covered in blood as well, perhaps not hers though. There was evidence of blood all over the black Shinigami ** (death gods/soul reapers) **kimono the students had worn for this day; it was the exact one all Shinigami would eventually all wear. The body on the floor was barely alive, if alive at all, slightly hidden behind a crate. From my position, she was barely noticeable. The Menos was cut several places, showing struggle. Close to the mask, but not close enough.

"Soten ni zase, Hyorinmaru! **(Sit upon the frozen heavens, Ice ring!)**" I yelled. The clouds gathered overhead, dark and murderous. I threw the chain with the crescent moon at the end at the hollow's arm and as it froze, it shattered, releasing Hyuga. The Menos roared, backing away. I darted beside her, a hand on her shoulder, squatting.

"Daijobou? **(Are you ok?)** Hyuga?" I asked. She nodded on her knees, barely supporting her weight with her hands. She drew in ragged breaths, tired and injured. "Your part is done. Take a break. We'll take care of this," I whispered to her. She nodded, barely perceptible. I pulled her back gently, letting her lean on me for a second before laying her down carefully on the floor.

"Chūi shite kudasai. **(Be careful.)** Watashi wa anata no tanomu. **(I beg of you.)** Shite kudasai…**(Please…)**" I heard her whisper. I smirked a bit. It began to drizzle.

"Like I'm going to lose," I whispered back. I stood up. "Oi!~ **(Hey!~)** You! Hollow!" I pointed at him. "You picked the wrong day to piss me off! So…" I could feel my glare freezing him for a second. "I'm not going to hold back on my shikai. Oh, and just so you know," I let some of my reiatsu **(spiritual pressure)**loose. "this is going to hurt a lot." He roared. The rain fell harder. I lunged.

* * *

_A bit later…(which wasn't that much)_

* * *

I walked up to Hyuga, Hyorinmaru returned to my back, Menos disintegrating. She was sitting up, having done so some time during my battle. Matsumoto was beside her, talking a bit, mainly trying to assess the situation and her injuries. So far, Hyuga hadn't been too responsive. She was too busy breathing in air. The rain let up, the clouds retreating.

"Daijobou?" she asked. Hyuga nodded the slightest bit.

"Are you sure? You've got an awful lot of blood on your outfit," she noted.

"It's not mine," Hyuga answered. Her voice cracked a bit. Her throat must have been raw from the lack of air. The sun shined despite the horror happening.

"What do you mean?" Matsumoto asked. _She didn't see…_

"We were in partners," Hyuga said shortly, her voice not sounding any better. Matsumoto gasped, her hands near her mouth. Hyuga leaned on one arm, getting up slowly.

"Oi! Matte! **(Wait!)** You're in no condition to be moving!" Matsumoto yelled, getting up. To no avail, Hyuga walked sluggishly to her sword and pulled it up. It slightly dragged on the ground as she turned around, her eyes blank. She trudged slowly to behind the crate, leaning her weight slightly on one foot. Matsumoto followed her a few feet behind. Hyuga came to the front of the body, collapsing her weight there. Matsumoto looked, surprised to see such a scene. The scene was terrible. A girl with dark hair lying on the floor with a hole between her chest and stomach. Beside her, sat a broken girl, her sword on the floor. The girl who I had known was gone. Now, she was pushed to a point I wasn't sure how horrible.

"Hikari-chan **(Light)**," Hyuga said mournfully. "Hikari-chan." she said a bit louder. "Hikari-chan, I thought we had a promise. You baka **(idiot)**, this wasn't it." Her voice began to rise. "I thought we were going to protect the things we cherish with our lives." Her voice rose higher. "My life wasn't part of that promise, you baka!" she yelled. "Didn't we promise to both become Shinigami together? Why couldn't you stay back, Hikari-chan?" she asked quietly. She gave a regretful smile. "Ah. I forgot. Apparently my life is more important than yours. Baka," She said disdainfully. "I wish…you were still here, Hikari-chan. I wish I wasn't so stupid. I miss you already."

Her voice held a tone of longing. Matsumoto and I stood there, watching this uncomfortably. We were intruding on something private, yet we couldn't bring ourselves to leave. She raised a hand calmly and put it on her forehead. She closed her eyes. For a moment, it was silent. Her eyes opened abruptly. She put her other hand on the girl's—Hikari I reminded myself—zanpakuto, leaving her hand on Hikari's forehead. The body and the zanpakuto began to shine in a indigo shine. It wasn't an evil-like shine, however. If anything, it would have been described as magical, not evil or good. Within a few minutes, the body became transparent and disappeared. A few seconds later, a holographic-like person appeared suddenly. It was Hikari. She was still wearing the Shinigami robes but there was no blood or wound. She turned to Hyuga, handing her a bracelet.

"If you forget me, I'll come back and kick your butt! Besides," she said smiling. "you haven't forgotten any of your other friends either. By the way. I'll be with you ok? I'll be in your heart." She put a hand on Hyuga's chest where her heart was. She handed her zanpakuto to Hyuga. Hyuga positioned the two zanpakuto, Hikari's and her own, crisscrossed on her back, like a giant X. Hikari told Hyuga a few things, things we didn't bother with. This was their last few minutes with each other. Hikari's feet began to fade. She looked down, noticing it, and smiled. She waved a little to Hyuga.

"See you later! Oh and have fun! You deserve it!" she gushed to Hyuga, her lower body gone, leaving like dust flying away. She grinned, looked at me, and pointed. "You!" Her stomach disappeared. "Make sure this girl here gets a good position in the squads ok? She deserves it." She turned back to Hyuga. Her shoulders began to disintegrate. "Don't worry. I'll be with you. You'll see. Bye!" Her head turned to nothing.

"Fly away, Hikari-chan," Hyuga whispered to the wind. She turned to us. "Gomennasai. **(Sorry.)** You must be confused. I'll explain…later," she struggled with the last word as she fainted, falling forward. Before I knew what had happened, her head was on my shoulder. I had caught her with shunpo **(flash step)** and had a hand on her elbow. I could feel her breath on my neck. I resisted the urge to blush.

"Tebanasu **(Let's go) **Matsumoto," I said, turning to the direction of the gate.

"Should I hold her?" Matsumoto asked, holding her hand out to me.

"Iie. **(No.)** She's light. Besides, I think she deserves the rest. Don't you agree?" I questioned. Matsumoto smiled.

"Hai! Tebanasu Taicho!~ **(Captain!~)**" Matsumoto yelled, starting to shunpo away already. I sighed before I too did shunpo, scooping her up, holding her to my chest.

* * *

_24 hours later…_

* * *

~Hinata's PoV~

I opened my eyes the slightest bit. _What a bright light._ I closed them again quickly, trying to arrange my thoughts. _Yoganudewa? _**(Lava Bracelet)**_ Iyashihikari?_** (Healing Light)**_ Are you there? _I felt them in my head, nodding._ What a relief._ I opened my eyes again, blinking to get used to the light. I sat up quickly. I resisted the urge to fall back onto my pillow. _Note to self: Fast? Not a good idea. Waking up at least._

I sat there for a few minutes before assessing the room. I was on a bed in Squad 4's division. It was simple with a window, bed, table, chair, and potted plant. _Ikebana _**("Flower Arranging") **_Club's work?_ I wondered. My zanpakuto lay against the wall beside the bed, both of them. I sighed and looked out the window. _What's going to happen now? _I leaned against it, one hand cupping my face, the other resting in my elbow.

"Ohayo! **(Good morning!)** Do you remember me? Rangiku?" Fukutaicho-san **(Lieutenant)** said, walking in, closing the door behind her. "Of course, it's hard to forget a woman with such a large chest. Not that yours isn't anyth-" she was cut off by me throwing a pillow at her face.

"I didn't forget you," I said softly. "If there's anything I remember about you, it was your cheery personality and loud voice. Besides," I turned to look at her, my hands in my lap. "Looks don't matter to me. I really hate it when people compare me to another about 'how long my hair is' or 'how big my chest is.' " I lay back down on the bed, crossing my legs.

"So what are you here to interrogate me for?"

"What makes you think I'm here to interrogate you?" she asked, all too innocently, sitting in the wooden chair. She held the pillow in her arms, like Shizune-san had held Tonton.

"It's either that or you're using me as an excuse. What is it? Paperwork?" I asked. She stiffened.

"Well…you see…" Fukutaicho-san started.

"Forget it. I guess it doesn't matter, eh Fukutaicho-san? At least you came to see me. You're the first to." I told her.

"I'm not 'Fukutaicho-san.' I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. And actually, I'm no-" She was interrupted by the door opening. It was Hitsugaya-taicho-san.

"Ah. You're up," he stated. I sat up.

"Ohayo Hitsugaya-taicho-san. How long have I been out?" I asked.

"24 hours," he answered.

"I better get going then," I stated. I got up, grabbing my zanpakuto, crossing them on my back like before. Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san and Hitsugaya-taicho-san both blocked my way.

"Are you a baka? You're not well enough to leave yet," stated Hitsugaya-taicho-san.

"Don't be hasty! Let's get you all~ fixed up first!" Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san said after.

"You two can follow me then. I'm leaving either way," I told them. They both looked determined. I sighed. "I always have to do this the hard way."

_Crash!_

"Ah well! It's lots of fun!" I said, as I jumped—well, crashed—out the window. _Hikari-chan, are you flying? Are you with the Kami-sama _**(God) **_that you adored? I hope you're happy Hikari-chan. I miss you, just like I miss everyone else.

* * *

_

**Done!~ Yay!~ About the things that happened between Hinata and Hikari, I'll explain later. Why she's leaving, read the next chapter when I put it up! If the translations are bad sorry! I had to rewrite this twice so I hope it isn't too bad. (P.S. Thank you to all those who have followed me faithfully! =) You people are the ones that motivate me!)**


	10. The Two of Us Together

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I hope you enjoy and thank you to all my faithful readers! About Hikari, you'll learn more about her later.

* * *

**

~Hinata's PoV~

It felt nice running around, the wind flowing through my hair, the feel of flying. _I remember how much you loved it, Hikari-chan _**(Light)**. I looked at the bracelet she had given back to me. I had given her two charms out of the 15 I had, reducing the number to 13: the yellow yarrow (healing and health) and the mixed zinnia (thinking of an absent friend). I had given it to her in hopes of her finding her zanpakuto and at the moment we both touched the bracelet, Iyashihikari **(Healing Light)** had been born. Iyashihikari had been everything she had dreamed of. She thanked me tremendously. That was how we had both come to wield her. I had created her, but Hikari-chan had given her her unique power and name.

She began to act weird after that. I was so surprised to see that she had been trying to find something to give to me in return. When I found out, I had told her to not, but she had gotten me this. It held charms for the four main elements. Water, fire, earth, and air. I had given it back to her and told her, "You carry it for me. That way, every time you leave, you'll have to come back to return it." I ran out to the top of a tall building. _But now…she had returned it._

"Ah! It's the Senzaikyu **(palace of remorseful sin)**! Hikari-chan, do you think that my friends would be amazed at this structure?" I asked to her spirit. I thought for a moment. "I guess so!~ But…I hope they don't come anytime soon. They should have a long, happy life." I put my hand to my face, shadowing my eyes from the sun. I looked around. "I wonder which way the Academy is," I wondered aloud. I felt someone come behind me, a captain?

"You're looking the wrong way," I heard a voice say. _Hitsugaya-taicho _**(captain)**_-san!_

"Ah! Hitsugaya-taicho-san! You found me! I was hoping I could find the Academy before you happened to find me," I said.

"Too bad. Come on. Let's go back to the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho **(coordinated relief station)** now," he said.

"Can't I visit the Academy? I have to…do something there," I asked him.

"Iie. **(No.)** It can wait, can't it? It's more important for you to recover," he stated.

"Are you sure? I just want to take some things from my dorm, before someone decides to trash it again," I said. I clamped my hand over my mouth.

"Trash it? What do you mean again?" he asked. _Gyah!_

"Ah! N-N-N-N-Nothing! There I go, running my mouth again! Let's go back to the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho now! I guess I'm in a lot of trouble huh?" I said, waving my arms around, smiling sheepishly. **(in a very Orihime Inoue-like fashion)**

"You said you just wanted to pick some things up huh? Fine. Let's go," he said, walking down from the Senzaikyu. I followed.

"Arigato **(Thank you)**, Hitsugaya-taicho," I whispered.

"Let's just go," he grumbled, turning away from me. I smiled. I let the reiryoku **(spiritual energy)** release from my feet and fell.

"Come on, Hitsugaya-taicho!" I shouted at him.

"Oi! **(Hey!)** Matte! **(Wait!)** You're going to get hurt!" he shouted. He also let the reiryoku release from his feet and fell after me. As the ground came closer, I turned in a flip and landed on my feet. He also flipped, barely making it to his feet. I smiled.

"Who's going to get hurt?" I asked him. He looked away, grumbling. I giggled. "Y'know Hitsugaya-taicho, you're really sweet."

He stopped for a moment. "Am not!" he grumbled. "So what is it you want to get anyways?"

"Some of Hikari-chan's stuff. She wanted me to have it. It's just some notes on our zanpakuto," I answered. He stopped and looked at me.

"You just broke the law," he accused of me, noticing the 'our' in the sentence. I turned to him.

"Nope!~ We didn't," I told him. "When you figure it out, tell me. I'll explain to Yamamoto-captain-commander when he asks later anyways."

"Baka. **(Idiot.)** You are so stupid. I'll tell him later," he told me.

"Hai! **(Yes!)** Then I don't have to tell him myself!" I told him.

"You're really weird," he mumbled.

"All part of my charm," I told him, laughing. I looked up. "Oh! We're here. I'll be right back!" I ran off. I unlocked our door, the key under the mat, finding the room trashed. "Mattaku!** (Geez!) **Those guys really will jump at any chance they get!" I said, thinking about something Hikari-chan had said.

* * *

_Flashback…

* * *

_

"They trashed our room again! We just cleaned up!" she yelled at the messy room. "Stupid Yin and Yuki! I hope you two rot in H-E-double hockey stick! You two both suck!"

"H-Hikari-san! L-Let's just clean up!" I tried calming her down.

"I'm just annoyed. Gomen. **(Sorry.)**," she said, realizing something. "I thought I told you to call me Hikari or Hikari-chan! Hinata-chan! You're too formal! We're friends now, ne? **(right?)** Besides," she sighed, a tired look in her eye. "This is normal now. Those guys will jump at any chance to make us miserable, even if we died."

* * *

_End of Flashback…

* * *

_

_Ah! Irony, no one likes you!_ Hikari-chan's bed and desk were missing, signifying someone either stealing them or the sensei clearing it out before the room was trashed. The curtains hung crooked on the window, shredded until it would be pointless to even put them up. My covers were thrown on the floor and the pillow was lodged onto the half-open window, soaking wet. There was toilet paper strewn in different places. Tests and notes were soaked until the words were smudged and thrown on the floor. The bookcase was turned over and the books were wet as well, thrown onto the floor carelessly. The closet was open and clothes were tattered, soaked, and left there. On the walls, people had written all over it, some overlapping:

Go away!

Cheaters!

Stay away from Hitsugaya-taicho!

Quit seducing Byakuya-taicho!

Over-achievers!

Teachers' pets!

Liars!

Bribers!

Leave!

Things to that effect.

"So you weren't joking," Hitsugaya-taicho's voice drifted through the door. I looked behind me.

"Why would I lie, Hitsugaya-taicho? I just wanted to find some things," I told him. I walked around, trying to picture the room when it was neat. The two beds would be right next to each other in the corners, a bookcase in between. The desks would be by the closet door on the opposite wall. The desks would be neat and so would everything else.

"Hmm…The desk should be over here," I walked over to the place where Hikari-chan's desk was. "So then her bed is there," I walked over to Hikari-chan's bed. "Then it should be…" I walked in between where the two objects were. I pulled out Iyashihikari and tapped her point to the ground. The ground opened up, showing several notebooks. I grabbed those and walked into my closet, tapping Yoganudewa's **(Lava Bracelet's)** point to the ground this time and the ground opened up, showing another room. I set the notebooks by this opening and jumped down, both sheathed once again.

"Oi! Matte!" Hitsugaya-taicho yelled.

"Just wait!" I yelled up. He looked down through the opening and saw me. He sighed, but respected my word and let me pack. I looked around, looking for some things. The room was basically like the closet above, except not trashed. On the left side were all our, Hikari-chan's and my, tops. The other side held both of our skirts and pants. Our clothes supply wasn't too big so there was a lot of room left over. In front were 7 different-sized packs, a tent, two sleeping bags, and some more books. I grabbed the biggest pack, putting in all the tops and bottoms, which numbered around 40 all together. I put in all of the books, happy to see that there was still some room left over. I put the tent in and put in three of the smallest bags. I took the second biggest bag and fit the last bag and a sleeping bag inside, leaving enough room to put in the notebooks. I tossed the filled bag up the opening.

"Catch!" I yelled up to him. I heard a _'thump!'_ sound coming from above. I slung the bag over my shoulder and jumped up, finding him standing right in front of me, the bag next to him. I got up, put all Hikari-chan's notebooks into the bag and went back down, grabbing a sleeping bag, and bringing it up too.

"Done!~" I said. He rolled his eyes. I stacked the two bags, one on top of the other and took out Iyashihikari. I tapped her point in between the two and the two became a small pack, around the size of a small sleeping bag. His eyes widened the slightest bit. I grabbed it, slinging it onto my shoulders. "Ok!~ Let's go!" I said. I grabbed his hand without thinking and walked out of the dorm, the key left under the mat.

I came upon the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho, my room up onto the sixth floor. Unlucky number. I thought for a moment. I jumped up, had the reiryoku harden under my feet, and entered through the window I broke through.

"Ah! I better fix that window!" I said aloud.

"Yes, you should," came a soft voice behind me.

"Unohana-taicho-san!" I yelled. "Eto…**(Umm…)**" I smiled sheepishly. "H-How much trouble am I in?" I asked her. There was silence for a moment.

"Not too much. That is, if you agree to pay for the window and only leave after an approved check-up. That isn't too much to ask is it?" she asked me.

"Iie! Eto…Would it be ok if I just fixed the window?" I asked her. She nodded. I held my hand out and imagined the glass there. I took my reiryoku, hardening it there, exactly in the shape I had broken it in. Soon, I opened my eyes, the glass filling the hole, but loose. I gently ran a finger between the two, not wanting to make it crooked. As I ran my finger between the two, my reiryoku was filling the cracks, making it one large glass window. After it was done, I looked to Unohana-taicho-san. She had long black hair that she pulled into a braid in front of her. She was always kind, but not someone to mess with.

"Is this ok?" I asked her. Her eyes were wide and her skin had become paler. "Unohana-taicho-san! Daijobou? **(Are you ok?)**" I asked, frantically. She shook her head for a second.

"Ah! I'm afraid I was surprised. So let's get you checked up." she stated.

"What happened to Taicho?" Matsumoto-fukutaicho **(lieutenant)**-san asked. I sweat dropped.

"Well…" I started.

* * *

_Flashback…

* * *

_

"You're going the wrong way," he stated, pulling me in another direction.

"I am not! It's this way. It's a shortcut I use when Hikari-chan gets admitted to the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho," I told him.

"You are worse than a child not getting candy," he complained to me.

"You're one to talk, you're only a few years older than me," I argued.

"Says the one who's been here under a year," he countered.

"You just have to follow me once, ne? So just do it," I told him, taking off without shunpo **(flash step)**. He suddenly came behind me, picking me up easily. I pouted.

"You need to eat more. You're too light. Anyways, let's just get back," he told me. I flicked him in the forehead and put my hand on his head, using it as leverage to jump out of his arms and shunpo away. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Come on Hitsugaya-taicho! You're too slow!~" I yelled at him, already a long way gone.

* * *

_End of Flashback…

* * *

_

"…and then right after, I had jumped up this window instead of climbing the stairs so I'm sure that he's coming up right now," I explained. "In fact, he should burst in here in about…3…2…1…Landing." Sure enough, the door slammed open and he was there, with a very large angry vein on his forehead. He put me in a headlock, yelling at me.

"What the h311 did you think you were doing?" he growled. I laughed.

"Having fun. You know, you should loosen up more. It doesn't hurt to laugh and smile sometimes," I told him. "Besides," I flipped him over my shoulder, having him sprawled on his back on the bed. "I bet that," I pointed at him. "you would look nicer with a smile on your face." I poked his forehead.

I turned around. "Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san!~ Don't you agree? Eh? Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san?" Suddenly from behind, she was there, trying to get me into a certain hold. I used my flexibility and got out of it, trapping her in the exact same hold she was trying to get me.

"Eh? Is everyone against me today or something?" I asked as I absent-mindedly released her and used shunpo to go to the examination room at the same time.

~Matsumoto's PoV~

That girl! She had embarrassed Taicho by flipping him over onto his back and having enough time to lop off his head if she wanted while getting me into a hold that would have killed me if she was an enemy. What was this girl? She had just beaten a taicho and fukutaicho.

"Taicho!~" I whined. "We just got beat by a girl that was here for under a month." He grunted, getting himself up and turning to me.

"Let's go Matsumoto. I need to talk to Yamamoto-taicho. _Now_," he told me.

We arrived upon his quarters, knocking. "Come in," came his worn voice. We both entered, bowing. Inside the big room, he stood there with Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai. They had probably just finished giving him a report or something. "What is it you came to see me about?"

"It is news regarding Hinata Hyuga, one of the more recent students of the Academy," Taicho said.

"Yes?" Yamamoto-taicho asked.

"She is very proficient in hakudo. She has been able to detain both Matsumoto and I, without breaking a sweat. Though we weren't trying too hard, she was still able to do so. In addition, her hoho is also impressive. She was able to go very fast even without using shunpo. Regarding her roommate…she and Hyuga had been hiding the fact that both hold ownership over a zanpakuto," Taicho told him. I resisted the urge to go yell at her. _What was she thinking? _

"Bring that youngster over here. She needs to have a beating," he stated, his reiatsu **(spiritual pressure)** rising a little. I bowed and left, leaving Taicho. I ran into Kenpachi-taicho and Yachiru-chan.

"Where you going?" Yachiru-chan asked. She must have seen my grim face.

"Hinata-chan has broken a law and Yamamoto-taicho has called for her," I explained.

"Eh! She has?" Yachiru-chan shrieked loudly, in her high voice of hers.

"Well…ye-Wait! How do you know her?" I asked her.

"Ken-chan! Can we go see what happens to her?" Yachiru-chan asked Kenpachi-taicho, ignoring me.

"Sure! If this turns into a battle, we can jump in too!" he said, bloodthirstily.

"Hurry hurry, Boobies-chan! We want to see Hina-chan!" Yachiru told me.

"Hai. **(Yes.)** Eto…How do you know her?" I asked again. She ignored me as Kenpachi-taicho and her left.

I used shunpo to go to the medical room she was in, finding her sitting on her bed Indian-style with her two zanpakuto beside her.

"Hinata-chan. Yamamoto-taicho would like to see you," I told her. She opened her eyes, strapping on both her zanpakuto. Together, we left and used shunpo to reach his quarters. During this entire trip, I stayed silent. Inside, I wanted to ask her so many questions:

Do you have a reason?

Will you end up fighting?

Why did you do it?

How are you going to get out of this mess?

Are you going to get punished?

Are you going to leave me?…

So many questions, but I didn't ask a single one. Hinata-chan should have enough on her mind…

As we reached the destination, she knocked respectfully. "Hinata Hyuga, please stay outside for a moment. Rangiku, come in," breathed Yamamoto-taicho's grave voice. He told us some things and then I let Hinata-chan in. She entered, bowing respectfully. I took my rightful place, watching as calmly as I could. "Hinata Hyuga, is it true that you and your roommate both held the same zanpakuto and did not have a battle over it?" She looked him in the eye.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

_Stupid! How could you!_ "…over it?" he asked. She looked him in the eye.

"Though it is true that Hikari-chan and I both held Iyashihikari, we did battle over it," she answered. "It is not exactly what you are thinking, however. Please, let me explain, Yamamoto-captain-commander," she asked. He nodded. She bowed a little, straightening up after.

"Every day, Hikari-chan and I would be bullied. It was a common occurrence. Hikari-chan and I held the two top places in the class, but were the youngest. Though I had my zanpakuto, Hikari-chan did not. Her dream was to have a zanpakuto that would make healing easier, to be in the same team as Unohana-taicho-san. She says her name was given to her by Unohana-taicho-san. She respected her very much, devoting her time and energy to reading healing kido books and memorizing different herb properties with me. After some time, I asked her why her zanpakuto had not yet formed, though she was in her last year of the Academy. She answered, 'I think that there is something missing. I'm not sure what, but I bet as soon as I find it, then I'll get a zanpakuto.'

"True as her word, the missing object was what got her zanpakuto to form. The next day, I gave her a bracelet with two charms. They were flower charms: a yellow yarrow meaning healing and health and a mixed zinnia meaning thinking of an absent friend. As I handed her this bracelet, it became a zanpakuto and both of us found ourselves facing her. Her name is Iyashihikari." She pulled out one of the zanpakuto. The tsuba **(sword guard; usually round) **was a sun and the blade was about the same size as the other. This one, however, was more round. She placed it—her—on the ground in front of Yamamoto-taicho, continuing.

"We were both able to pass her test. As we did, I asked her why she had given me the test to me too. She had answered telling both of us that though Hikari-chan had given her her power and name, that I had given her her form and shape. Hikari-chan had been so ecstatic, having her own zanpakuto, even though it had only been for a few moments. With that, I decided to make a compromise with Iyashihikari. The one who beat the other at zanjutsu **("art of the sword; cutting technique)** would wield her. Hikari-chan and I battled. However, she beat me, just as I knew she would. I could never win her in zanjutsu. In that way, Hikari-chan wielded Iyashihikari.

"The day of the practice Hollows, we also fought. We connected minds as she was injured and fought in an imaginary world. This time, I did not spare Hikari-chan any hits. I beat her, both of us smiling and crying at the same time. That day, she did pass away. She did die. It was by my hand. She knew it too. If I had not battled her at that second, she would have lived. It was that…we both knew that we should do it then. We both knew that…we could not keep the charade up for much longer so we battled. I am sorry to say that she would have made a better shinigami** (death god; soul reaper) **than I would have. Demo…**(But…) **as she was dying, she told me something. I am afraid I cannot tell you. She made me promise and I would like to honor her last wish. I would like to ask of your forgiveness. We both did not want to lie, however…we both would hate to fight." She bowed to him, Iyashihikari still on the floor.

He laughed. It suddenly reminded me of an old man laughing at another. "It is fine. Though in return, I would like to test you," he said. She perked up.

"Arigato! Eto…Test me?" she questioned. She picked up Iyashihikari, putting her back into her sheathe. "Eto…Why? How?"

He looked at her. "You'll see why. Now. I would like Hitsugaya to start off!" he yelled. Then, I used shunpo to come behind her, and attack with hakudo, throwing a punch to her back. She turned around and grabbed my hand at the last second surprised.

"Ugh!" she groaned. "Let me guess. My punishment is to face people in this room. _Great!_ This _stinks_ big time!" I took this opportunity to try and knock her off her feet. She jumped up, flipping over me and throwing a kick at me herself. I used my forearm to block, pushing it aside and throwing a punch at her. She dodged, moving her head left. (My left.)

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**I'll write about this fight later. ^_^ Review please!~**


	11. The Battle and the Doctor

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Hope you enjoy!~

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~Hitsugaya's PoV~

"Ugh!" Hyuga groaned. "Let me guess. My punishment is to face people in this room. _Great!_ This _stinks_ big time!" I took this opportunity to try and knock her off her feet. She jumped up, flipping over me and throwing a kick at me herself. I used my forearm to block, pushing it aside and throwing a punch at her. She dodged, moving her head left. (My left.)

"Byakuya," Yamamoto-taicho **(captain)** said simply. She put her hands on my shoulders and flipped over me, a hair's breath away from getting hit with Kuchiki's punch. She back-flipped several times, landing on her feet before ducking underneath my kick, as for some reason my arms would not work. Kuchiki tried to sweep her feet from under her, which she simply jumped up to. She stood back up as we retreated out legs and used shunpo to get behind us. She tapped both of us on the neck. I tried turning to her, only to raise my arms up a little. I tried using shunpo but only ended up turning around to face Kuchiki. I could see he was in the same predicament. I tried moving my left arm and my right arm twitched. I tried lifting my right leg to find my left arm lifting. I tried moving my right arm and found my left leg moving. If I tried to move my left leg, I found right leg to twitch. I was finally able to understand this scramble to lunge at her, kicking. Kuchiki followed with shunpo only a few seconds later, throwing a punch.

"Renji," Yamamoto-taicho commanded. He jumped in, throwing in a leg sweep. She back-flipped several times, Abarai crashing into us. After a while, Kuchiki and I regained our normal senses, taking advantage of it. All three of us attacked, Kuchiki throwing a punch to her head, Abarai tossing a kick towards her back abdomen, and I going in for a leg sweep. She flipped backwards, using Abarai's shoulders as leverage. She flipped over him, Abarai tripping onto me and Kuchiki tripping onto the two of us, twisting his ankle and injuring his wrist. Of course, I was at the bottom. She looked back at us and smiled.

"This is tons of fun!" she giggled. Abarai got frustrated, taking out his zanpakuto **(soul-cutter sword)** and slashing it down towards her. Within seconds, her zanpakuto was out, blocking his. She brought her zanpakuto down a little before throwing it high in the air, Abarai's zanpakuto flying to and getting stuck in the ceiling. She blocked Kuchiki's zanpakuto after, transitioning from offense to defense in a second. I attacked her with Hyorinmaru **(ice ring) **while she was distracted only for her to block him with her other zanpakuto, Iyashihikari** (healing light) **I noted. That must mean the other was Yoganudewa **(lava bracelet)** and she was more used to Yoganudewa.

Seeing that, I backed away from her at the same time as Kuchiki. Kuchiki and I made eye contact and we both knew. We both attacked at once. I occupied Yoganudewa while Kuchiki held off Iyashihikari. From behind, Abarai threw a punch at her, just as she tossed both her zanpakuto up into the ceiling, which also included ours, and back-flipped over Abarai, drop kicking him and most likely breaking his leg, before chopping her hand onto his neck, rendering him unconscious. She then flipped over our heads and pulled out both her swords from the ceiling, resting them on our collarbones as we turned around. Matsumoto pulled Abarai out of the fight. We were all breathing hard. Perspiration ran down our foreheads. Unfortunately, we were beat for now. That is…

"Yachiru," Yamamoto-taicho said. Kusajishi **(Yachiru's last name)** jumped in, kicking.

Hyuga did not let the swords go. Instead, she stood her ground, making eye contact with her before calling out, "Sho! **(Thrust!)**" Followed right after by "Sai! **(Restrain!)**" With these two words, Kusajishi was thrown across the room, skidding on her feet to stop, and had her arms restrained behind her back. Kusajishi tried to break through the bakudo **("way of binding")** only to find she couldn't.

"Hina-chan!~ You're really good at this!~" Kusajishi complimented. Then, she let some of her reiatsu **(spiritual pressure)** loose. The pink reiatsu took the form of a cat, hissing. Even so, Kusajishi could not break loose. "Hina-chan!~ Let me go!~" she whined. Hyuga smiled despite her hard breathing.

"Kenpachi," Yamamoto-taicho said simply. Hyuga's eyes widened and she jumped back just in time to dodge his blade. She put her blades up in an X-shape just in time to catch his sword in between. Kuchiki and I ran in back of her using shunpo, hoping to catch her off guard. She simply ducked until her upper body was parallel to the floor, using the fall to snap back and throw a kick at Zaraki's head. She returned Iyashihikari back to her sheath, matching blades with Zaraki. She took an opening and grabbed his arm, throwing the large man over her shoulder and onto the floor, bending it back to an impossible angle all the while. _Crunch! Crack! Crack!_ He stood up and laughed a little, turning into a full-blown crazy laughter.

"Come on Hyuga! Throw me your best!" he yelled. Just then, Kusajishi, who had gotten free from the bakudo, tried to kick Hyuga from behind only for her to duck and for Kusajishi to bump into Zaraki.

"Matsumoto," Yamamoto-taicho suggested. She looked torn for a second before jumping in for a kick. I also went for a kick. We were both blocked with one arm, her darting away with shunpo after. _Was it just me or was she slower?_ We followed straight after. She ran behind Kuchiki and glanced her palm off his shoulder, darting to Kusajishi and Zaraki, throwing punches. They both dodged and blocked and kept her busy until Matsumoto and I attacked her from behind. She flipped over us, letting us crash into Zaraki and Kusajishi. As the four of us turned around, we saw her crouching down, Kuchiki a little ways off, unconscious. She put all her weight on one foot with Yoganudewa in her hand. She pulled Iyashihikari warily.

She stood up, her weight slightly on the other. She was breathing heavily. She took a deep breath, exhaling calmly. She then lunged. The four of us should have had the advantage if not for the fact that Zaraki had one arm broken at an impossible angle, Kusajishi had twisted her ankle when she had crashed into Zaraki and when we crashed into her, Matsumoto had hurt her wrist crashing into Zaraki, and I had been fighting the longest. She was holding up to two taicho and two fukutaicho **(lieutenants)** very well, given her condition. Eventually, she was holding off all of our zanpakuto on hers. She was breathing heavily and her arms were shaking. Most of us weren't in much better shape.

We were all perspirating heavily. We took multiple breaths, trying to calm our beating hearts. She flung her zanpakuto, as well as ours, onto the ceiling, using the distraction to sweep us all off our feet. We landed on our backs, most of us getting up soon after. She was ready.

She broke Matusmoto's arm, as she got up first. Matsumoto hissed in pain as Hyuga flung her off to the side. She blocked several punches from Zaraki and twisted his ankle by drop kicking him once more. She lunged at me, able to twist both of my wrists and hurt my back and my right ankle with another drop kick. She attacked Kusajishi ferociously, getting her into a headlock and keeping her there. Zaraki lunged at her again only to crash into Kusajishi and to see her shunpo to the other side of the room, crouching and gulping in air like crazy. She was perspirating buckets and her limbs shook.

She raised her hand. "Ok! I give! I twisted my ankle, broke one arm, and probably need to drink gallons of water. I'm too tired to continue!" With that, she sat down, resting her weight on her arms. I blinked. So did everyone else.

"You just versed three taicho, two fukutaicho, and a seated officer without break, broke and twisted several of our limbs, and held your own for around an hour or so, and you're just giving up?" Abarai asked, having woken up a few moments ago. She lifted a hand, making an "ok" sign. **(Renji is a seated officer in Squad 5 with Kira and Momo for now.)**

"Yup!" she said, smiling. "I'm tired." She lay down on the floor, resting for a moment. She got back up. "Alright! Alright!" she grumbled. She went over and pulled her zanpakuto off of the ceiling, sheathing both of them. "I never thought that two zanpakuto could give me a headache," she said as she began leaving the room. She turned around, looking at Yamamoto-taicho. "Arigato. **(Thank you.)** I haven't had a warm-up like that in a while! I'll be in the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho **(coordinated relief station)** if you need me!" she said bowing. She left after.

"What the h311? How was that a warm-up? We got our butts handed to us!" he complained loudly.

"I see," Yamamoto-taicho said. "Well, you're all dismissed. You should all visit the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho as well. I am sure that the injuries she caused are not harmless." With that, we left to the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho, Matsumoto and Kusajishi talking, Abarai and Kuchiki listening to Zaraki, and I, silent.

_Some time later at the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho…_

We got there, waiting patiently for someone to come and help us out. After a while, Hyuga came out, looking at a clipboard. She looked at us and rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Ano…**(Umm…) **Come on; follow me. I'll get you guys fixed up," she told us.

"Wait, so you're going to fix us up?" Abarai asked, surprised. She nodded, biting on her bottom lip. "You're not even out of the Academy, how do you know enough healing kido to fix us up?" She looked uncomfortable.

"Ano…Well…You see…Eh…Just…I'll show you," she said finally. She began to walk, glancing back to make sure we were also following. We were. Kusajishi was ecstatic seeing Hyuga for some reason or another. She jumped up and down and asked her many questions.

"Hina-chan!~ Ken-chan and I had tons of fun!~ Can we do it again sometime? Please?~ Pretty please with candy on top?~" she begged.

"Chiru-chan~ I have to fix you up first! Otherwise it won't be a fair fight! Can you make sure Pachi-kun listens to my instructions?" Hyuga questioned, her voice a bit more confident. Kusajishi giggled.

"Silly Hina-chan!~ Don't you know? You're the only nurse that Ken-chan respects. He'll definitely listen to you!~" Kusajishi answered.

"Hontoni? **(Really?)** I didn't know that," she said. Kusajishi raised her hands up like a little kid, and Hyuga picked her up in her arms. They giggled together. I looked over discreetly at Hyuga. _Kawaii…_**(Cute…)** _Gyah! What am I thinking? _They talked together during the walk. We entered her medical room. I leaned on the table next to Kuchiki, who leaned on the nearby wall. Matsumoto sat down in the chair. Zaraki stood there, looking bored. She was setting Kusajishi down on the bed to look at her ankle. It was at that second that I had realized that as she was weird, she was also other things. _She was kind. She was sweet. She was easy to get along with. She was different. She was cute. She wa—What did I just think in my head? _Not many people noticed my inner turmoil. Kuchiki noticed. Secretly, he was like a mentor. He had helped me with my work when I had first gotten started as a captain. We spent some time together and he could read me to a point as I could as well. I'm not sure who else noticed.

Hyuga held Kusajishi's ankle carefully, examining it.

"This might hurt a bit, ok?" she told her.

"Hai!~ **(Yes!~)** You say that every time you do it anyways," Kusajishi answered. Hyuga clicked Kusajishi's ankle into place, an advanced subject. She came to Zaraki right after, looking him over.

"Ano…The worst injury is the arm. Eh…Gomennasai. **(Sorry.)** It had hurt a lot, ne? **(right?)** Gomennasai," she said again. He laughed.

"You worry too much gaki **(brat)**. I'm Zaraki Kenpachi. Now, besides, you've done worse to me before," he stated. Everyone's, except Hyuga, Zaraki, and Kusajishi, eyes widened.

"Hinata-chan, you injured Kenpachi-taicho?" Matsumoto shrieked. I could see her fidget uncomfortably under all the stares.

"Ano…We kind of spar sometimes," she answered, fidgeting. She instructed Zaraki to get on the bed. As soon as he sat down, she tapped his shoulder blade, grabbed his arm, and twisted it back. _Crunch! Crunch! Crack! _He didn't flinch. I had to say, he's really pain resistant or Hyuga did something. I think the latter was more likely. She tapped his shoulder again, moving down to his ankle. The silence was slightly uncomfortable.

She whispered something that sounded like, "It might hurt," before snapping his ankle back into place efficiently.

Kusajishi jumped up onto Zaraki's back, yelling, "Arigato Hina-chan!~ We'll see you later!~"

"Ah! Don't forget to make a left!" Hyuga yelled after them.

"They have a really bad sense of direction, don't they?" Matsumoto asked Hyuga. She nodded, seeing where she was injured. She held Matsumoto's arm, tapping her shoulder blade.

"Once they were looking for Squad 1's barracks only to end up in my medical room. I was so surprised," she answered, snapping her wrist back into place. Matsumoto giggled. Hyuga held a hand to Matsumoto's arm, frowning.

"Don't be surprised," Hyuga said. Without a chance to ask about what, Hyuga had taken lain Iyashihikari by Matsumoto's arm. Iyashihikari glowed a dark green that for some reason, reminded me of a forest. Without a second's hesitation, she plunged Iyashihikari into Matsumoto's arm. We all, the exception being Hinata, widened our eyes.

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**Done!~ Hope you enjoyed. I'll update as soon as I can! =)**


	12. Fixing Up and Sleep Talking

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Hope you enjoy! (P.S. I found out that Hyorinmaru might mean something else, but I'm going to stick with the translation I have now. If anyone gets mad at me, I'm sorry! It's just that it fits perfectly with the story I have now!)

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~Hitsugaya's PoV~

After a while, she pulled Iyashihikari **(Healing Light)** out, no blood or cuts or anything where it had been.

"What was that?" Matsumoto asked Hyuga. Hyuga ran a finger along the blade of her zanpakuto **(soul-cutter sword)**, a far-away look in her eyes.

"Iyashihikari is a healing sword remember? So, healing bones is pretty simple. Twists and dislocations you have to do by yourself though. That's why I'm helping out at Sogo Kyogo Tsumesho **(coordinated relief station)** today. Several of the members caught a rare virus and Unohana-taicho-san went to get some herbs. She caught me healing Chiru-chan and Pachi-kun so she asked me to fill in for her," she explained, sheathing Iyashihikari. " You can leave now, Matsumoto-fukutaicho **(lieutenant)**-san. Don't worry! I'l-"

"Rangiku-chan!—Hinata- chan! I thought were close!" Matsumoto told her.

"Well, hai **(yes)**, demo **(but)** it's not formal to call a fukutaicho by their first names an-"

"Well, I don't care. Come on! Ran-gi-ku-chan!" she sounded out.

"Demo…Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san, it is very hard for me to go against the rules I have grown up following. Gomennasai **(I'm sorry)**," she apologized.

"Eh? You grew up following rules like that? What? Did you come from a prestigious clan?" Matsumoto joked, surprised.

"Eto…**(Umm…)**Demo…**(But…)**" Hyuga tried to say.

"Eh? It's already this late?" Matsumoto said as she glanced out the window. "I've got to go Hinata-chan!~ I'll see you later!" Hyuga sighed.

She walked over to Kuchiki, snapping his wrist and ankle back into place. With a single tap on his shoulder, he gained mobility in his left arm. He nodded silently, leaving. She smiled.

"He's not that talkative like Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san, is he?" she asked me. I grunted. She smiled.

"You know, they both remind me of someone. Kuchiki-taicho-san reminds me of someone I considered my Nii-san** (older brother) **while Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san reminds me of someone I thought of as an aunt," she told me. "Eto…Gomennasai. I must have hurt you the most out of everyone."

"Daijobou. **(I'm fine.)** I've had some bad injuries before," I told her. She lifted my sleeve and gently prodded one of the bruises. I hissed, despite the fact that I usually was able to keep it hidden.

"Even so, every injury hurts just as much as the last," she said. She helped me sit down on the bed, snapping my ankle back into place right after. It was like a dull throb, but it was definitely better than before. She held my hand for a moment, examining my wrist. Her hand was smooth and warm in mine. It was petite, though it wasn't much smaller than mine. Yet, it wasn't new. You could feel the years of damage on it. It was worn smooth. She wasn't here long enough to make her hands this worn. _Was she a fighter when she was alive?_ Her tapping my shoulder brought me back from my absent-minded thoughts. She slid my wrist back into place, no pain at all. She tapped my other shoulder, sliding the other wrist into place. She tapped both of my shoulders and I rolled them back and forth as well as shaking out my hands. I was surprised to see no aches or pains or even a throbbing sensation.

"Not bad," I complimented.

"A-Ah! Arigato **(Thank you)**, Hitsugaya-taicho **(captain)**," she thanked. "Eto…Was there something wrong that I missed? You looked kind of frustrated a few moments ago." I recalled the event while she was fixing Kusajishi up. I shook my head.

"Iie. **(No.)** Daijobou. Anyways, is there something you have for my bruises?" I asked her.

"Eto…Where did I put it?" she questioned herself, rummaging through her bags a few seconds later. She pulled out some thing, zipping up the bag. She asked me to pull down my top, blushing. I complied, silently sitting on the bed, facing the wall, my back to her. After a few seconds, I felt the bed shift the slightest bit when she sat down and felt her fingers cleaning my back. It was nice. The ointment she used was amazing. It was cool against my skin and eased the flames of the bruises that I didn't want to admit did hurt.

She was humming. It was a soft sound that I could hear clearly though no one else would be able to. My eyes began to feel heavy. I normally did not like sleeping until all my work was done, but with the soothing sounds, I felt more tired than I had ever been. I nodded off for a second before jerking my head up, trying in vain to stay awake through half-lidded eyes. I was aware that she had stopped rubbing in ointment on my back and was in front of me, rubbing it into my arms. I was aware that she hadn't stopped humming and was, if anything, humming a little louder. I was aware that she had put away the ointment and was sitting in front of me, helping my put on my top, blushing a little, but still humming. I was aware that my haori was back on and she was sitting in front of me, waiting for me patiently, humming softer. I was aware that I fell forward, falling into a peaceful slumber.

~Hinata's PoV~

It was a habit to hum while I cook and when I was making/using ointment. Sometimes, my patients would fall asleep and some of the other squad members were ecstatic, having a bit less work to do. Other times, it was a hassle, trying to check up on someone's roommate while they were asleep. Even so, most of my patients enjoyed it, or so they say, for it was a relaxing exercise and helped them get the rest they needed to recuperate. I hadn't known that I was still humming until Hitsugaya-taicho had fallen forward. His head lay on my…well, my chest. He had certainly surprised me. Well, now there wasn't much to do. I was sitting against the wall and Hitsugaya-taicho was asleep on me. His hair tickled my face and embarrassingly enough, it smelled kind of like fresh snow. One of his hands was resting on my stomach, bunching up some of my uniform, kind of like Hanabi-chan **(fireworks)** would do when she would fall asleep while I sang to her. His other hand held mine in a soft grip.

I didn't struggle, not wanting for him to wake up. At the same time, I was dreading the fact that someone would come in and find the two of us like this. _Gyah! This is so confusing!_ I felt something cold brush against my free arm. Glancing there, I found a small ice dragon with ruby eyes. I held my hand out to it. It slithered over, carefully prowling, before finding it fit to coil around my hand. I held it up to my face, smiling.

"Oh, how fierce. What's your name, Ryuu-san? **(Dragon?)** Are you a zanpakuto spirit?" I asked it. He slithered up under my hair, teeth scraping my neck. I tilted my head, hair sliding to the other side, letting Ryuu-san have better access to my neck. Without a second's hesitation, he bit into me. His teeth were cold, just like him. I found myself in an icy plain.

"Ohayo **(Good morning)** Ryuu-san. What's your name?" I asked the dragon in front of me. He transformed into a man. With long hair and an X-shaped scar on his head. He wore elegant clothes and had on an accessory that looked like the one that Hitsugaya-taicho wore on his zanpakuto sash.

"Hyorinmaru **(Ice Ring)**," he answered shortly.

"So, I'm pretty sure that a person like you wouldn't have dragged me all the way to your world just to talk," I told him. "What is it that you want to tell me?" I asked him.

He looked away for a second. "I'm not sure if you're fit for my master," he said.

I giggled. "You know, I'm sure who ever it is, they wouldn't care if you called them by his first name. Anyways, "your master" wouldn't happen to by Hitsugaya-taicho, would it?" I asked him, smiling. He blinked and looked away, grunting. I pulled him down by his arm and patted his head.

"Yup!~ You definitely are!" I said, smiling. He looked bewildered. "Anyways," I started. "You can't decide if I'm fit for Hitsugaya-taicho yet. We're not too close. After all, in the end, it is his decision anyways, ne? **(right?)** If you want, you can delve into my memories like all the other zanpakuto spirits anyways. I'm fine with it. Just don't enter the ones that are black. If you do, I won't let you look at any of my other ones. Anyways, I'll talk to you later. I've got several patients coming up," I said to him. With that, I snapped my fingers, opening my eyes in the exact same position as last, Hyorinmaru nowhere to be found.

I sighed. Now to get out of this position. No sooner had I thought that, when Hitsugaya-taicho's head fell into my elbow, his grip releasing on my hand and uniform. I carefully slid out from under him, laying his head on the pillow. I tucked the blanket over him, smiling. Then, I left the room, asking Kotetsu-fukutaicho-san who I had to treat next and asking her to tell everyone not to go into my room.

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**I hope I did well on portraying Hyorinmaru's personality. I only know his personality from something I read on .com. I don't know how accurate it is, but I hope that it was ok. Hope to hear from my fans (if I have any) and to hear from new readers.**


	13. Memories, Paperwork, Sky, Request

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Hope people enjoy this! =) (P.S. None of the birthdays I use are made up. I get them from websites. If they are wrong, sorry!)

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~Hitsugaya's PoV~

I woke up in Hyuga's medical room, unsure of how long I had been there or how I had gotten there. I thought for a moment, recalling how I had fallen asleep. _Ah! _

"Ah! Hitsugaya-taicho **(captain)**! You're awake!" I heard her voice call out from the doorway. She came in, carrying a tray of food. "You were out for a considerable length of time." She put the tray in my lap, consisting of water, several watermelon slices, a few amanatto, a bowl of rice, miso soup, and some fish. "You know, who knew that a taicho would have so much paperwork." She smiled. "Dig in, ok? I'll tell you about the missions and requests." I nodded, picking up the chopsticks and digging into the food, in a polite manner.

"Itadakimasu. **(I'll eat it well.) **So, how long was I out?" I asked her. She put her finger on her chin thoughtfully.

"Ano…**(Umm…) **Well, I'd say around six hours. Anyways, while you were asleep, I took care of all your paperwork and Matsumoto-fukutaicho **(lieutenant)**-san's too. I cleaned out your desk; did you know that Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san had hidden bottles of sake there? Anyways, I also found out what I'd be doing from now on. I'm living with Rukia Kuchiki and I'm going to help out in different squads to find out which one suits me best. Normally, I'd be assigned to a squad, but Yamamoto-soutaicho-san made an exception for me because…Ano…It's a secret!~" she told me cheerfully. "Anyways, about the paperwork…" I listened as she told me all there was to know. I ate silently, nodding every once in a while.

A few moments later, Momo **(Peach Tree)** Hinamori came in. "Hitsugaya-kun!~" she called out.

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho!" I yelled at her. She giggled, noticing Hyuga finally.

"Eh? Who are you?" she asked.

"Ah! I'm Hinata Hyuga. You must be Momo Hinamori, seated officer of Squad 5! It's such a pleasure! You must be here to see Hitsugaya-taicho. I hear you two are good friends. Ano…I'll come back in a few minutes," she said, rising to leave. _Was it just me, or did she seem a little more closed off than when we had first met?_ Hinamori stopped her.

"Iie! **(No!)** Stay! Please? Besides, I just came to stop by. Anyways, I've heard much about you too! I hear that you've held off Hitsugaya-kun, Kenpachi-taicho, Yachiru-fukutaicho, Matsumoto-fukutaicho, and Abarai-kun! That's so amazing!" Hinamori sat on the edge of the bed.

"Iie! I just have many supportive people, you know?" Hyuga asked. Hinamori thought for a moment.

"Hai! **(Yes!)** So, do you want a watermelon?" she asked, stealing one of mine and offering it to Hyuga who sat on the chair nearby. She shook her head.

"Ano…Is it ok to be stealing food from a taicho?" she asked.

"Hai! Of course, you have to know that they will forgive you," Hinamori answered.

"Ah! I see. Demo **(But) **is it possible for a taicho to hold a grudge against you for stealing food?" Hyuga asked her.

"Eto…**(Let's see…) **I don't know!" Hinamori answered. They giggled together, talking about random stuff together. I listened to them for a while, eating my meal. After a while, the giggling died down and all three of us sat together, just content with the silent comfort. That is, until Hyuga fell asleep, her head next to Hinamori's lap and by my feet.

At first, it was surprising, but the questions had died down only a few seconds later. That is, until she began to mutter.

"Lost…Buildings…Winter…Autumn…Kindness…Birthday…Peaches…Amanatto…" she mumbled, her voice calm and content. The words came spaced out, each a few minutes apart.

"Visits…Left…School?… Visit…Forget…" Her voice became slightly hysterical. The words became closer together, more confusing.

"Don't…forget…Don't forget…Remember…Tree…Grows…Changes…No. No!" Her voice began to rise; her voice getting more hysterical. Hinamori began to get worried, shaking her.

"Hinata-chan? Hinata-chan! Wake up!" Hinamori said, trying to wake her up from the nightmare.

"Kisetsu **(seasons)**-chan. Kisetsu-kun," Hinata said, sounding desperate. "Gone…?" she muttered. Hinamori and I stopped. That was what she called us. That was what Shinsetsu **(kindness)**-chan called us.

Suddenly, Hyuga popped up, around half and hour since she slept, looking at both of us fearfully. For a moment, all was silent.

"Ah! I-I-I-I-I-I-I've got to go somewhere! G-G-G-G-Gomennasai! **(I'm sorry!)**" she called out, as she burst out of the room.

"Hinamori…Do you…think that…was Shinsetsu-chan?" I asked almost fearfully. She looked at me with wide eyes and shook her head.

"I…I…I don't think, Hitsugaya-kun…I know," she said, starting to sob.

I pushed the tray aside, holding her close to me.

I let her cry. I let her cry for our missing friend. I let her cry for the both of us. I let her cry because I could not shed a tear anymore. I let her cry because I had been the one in her position. I let her cry because I had shed all my tears…when we had first realized that we had lost her.

~Hinata's PoV~

The silence is so nice. It's so content…but…what's that going off in the back of my head? Why do I feel like crying? Next thing I knew, I had fallen asleep, meeting Iyashihikari **(Healing Light)** and Yoganudewa **(Lava Bracelet)** in my hall of memories.

"Child, it is time," began Yoganudewa, the wolf that had two sides. The magnificent wolf that had black hair and blue eyes and never failed to help me, stood with great poise of mystery and warmth.

"It is time to face one of your memories, Child," Iyashihikari stated. This majestic bird was easily the size of the wolf. With black feathers and indigo eyes, she radiated light and openness.

To face a memory, was to face a fear. It was a deal we struck. Whenever they deemed it fit, they would help me unlock a memory, to help me gain a stronger mentality. The catch? I might not grow stronger, but grow weaker in my emotions instead if not handled well.

My hall of memories literally looked like a hall; however, the structure housed my memories up to the nearest second. In each door, laid a time frame. Some doors were for years, some for a few days. The doors were colored depending on the happiness I had during the time. The colors were lighter when I was happier. Most were light colors, bright and airy. The farther you went into the hall, the more aged the hall became. The more dust and fear you would find.

However, quite a few stood at the very end in a solid black, signifying the pain that took place. Within these doors lay something that began happy, and became something that could not be reversed. Thinking about them back then would make me shake, wanting to bawl. As a child, I could not bear the pain so I came upon a way to stop it. I would seal away the memory, inside this hall, at the very back, locked. Even now, I couldn't help but feel a little fearful. I couldn't help but fear the things that I had forced myself to forget. Despite that, I nodded.

Together, we walked down the old hallway, walking at a consistent pace. As we came closer to the end of the hall, the more I wanted to run away. My mind screamed to run; my body kept on moving. My mind wanted me to get out of there; my body was on autopilot. Soon, we arrived to the door, both of them standing on the sides of the door.

"Come child, it is time," Yoganudewa said, in her serious-mode. I nodded, shakily reaching for the door. I pushed it open, eerily creaking. I stepped inside, carefully. The next thing I know, I'm back in my 2-year-old body, crying. The thing about memories is that I could relive it or watch it. Either way, I could not do anything to change it and I would feel every single emotion and thought I had at that second, not a single bit different.

I ran around, once again feeling the leaves on the floor and the branches around. I felt the drizzle hitting my skin and soaking me. I felt the panic of that day, the panic of forever being lost. After a while, I stood by a small tree with a thin trunk and thin branches. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see something move on the other side of the tree. In a desperate attempt to escape from the loneliness, I darted to it, finding myself in an alley off a street full of people yelling. All the people overlooked me, talking to one another. Though this place was somewhat peaceful, there was evidence of robbery and injury.

I looked around, trying to find a kind face among the people. Even so, there were little people compared to those of the streets of Konoha and even less faces that held the kindness the people of Konoha held. I memorized the place and mentally noted every turn I took as I walked around. The streets were different from Konoha. It wasn't bad, nor was it good. It was just…different.

Unfortunately, I was too engrossed within my surroundings until I bumped into someone, falling on my behind.

"Oi! **(Hey!)** Who do you think you are, little girl? You do not bump into me without apologizing automatically!" the giant man bellowed. The man was probably around the size of Otou-san, except bigger in pants size. I stood up, brushing myself off.

I bowed slightly, saying, "Gomennasai." He growled, picking me up by the collar of my summer yukata. I whimpered, reminded of the "training sessions" with Otou-san, which usually ended up with him using his size advantage to give me extra bruises, saying "There will be opponents twice the size of you. You need to be prepared. They won't hold back on you, so I will not either." Now, I knew for certain that what he said was not a lie. He laughed maniacally.

"Oi!~ Let the girl go," I heard someone say. I looked to the right to find a boy with spiky, white hair, which was slightly flattened from the rain despite the sunshine. He had eyes that were a pretty shade of aqua green. He was probably a bit bigger than I. He had a scowl on his face that I didn't find annoying or infuriating as cute or normal. The thought of that made me want to blush. By him stood a girl with brown hair tied at the base of her neck. She had chocolate colored eyes and was maybe double my size; just like the boy, she was very pretty. She held a bag with food in it and was pointing at us with her other hand.

"Or what?" the man holding me called, teasingly. He raised a fist for good measure, but not until he was tripped and I flew out of his arms, being caught mid-air by the boy. _Winter…?_ We landed, the girl appearing and both fighting around me. _Fall…?_ They fought furiously, sweating and dropping blood of others. _What am I doing? Why aren't I fighting too? I am the heiress of a clan! _

With that thought, I high kicked a man's jaw, probably breaking it and spraining my ankle. The man fell to the floor easily as I elbowed another guy in the gut and punched another's knee. I fought with them for a while, the boy and girl fighting with me back-to-back. Soon, all of them were on the floor, all three of us standing still in our battle positions. After a while, they began to walk away, the drizzle now cleared up. I hesitated on following them until the girl turned around. Her cut lip and bruised cheek seemed so much worse in the light. The boy looked the same, an exception of his slight panting, of the humid weather or the fight I was unsure. They stood for a second, the girl glancing at the boy for some time. Finally, she smiled.

"Come on! Let's go see Baa-chan! **(Granny!)** She'll fix us up in no time!" she said. I hobbled after them, trying not to put too much weight on my ankle while trying to keep up with them. They stood a few feet ahead, obviously knowing their way around. They muttered a bit between themselves, before the boy turned around and scooped me up, holding me close to his chest.

"A-Ah! I-I-I can walk!" I yelled at him, which as most people said was not that much louder than a whisper. He smirked.

"Yea. You can walk. You just can't walk on that ankle. Besides, if you went any slower, than we'd get there by tomorrow," he told me. _A…burden…? Was Otou-san right?_ At that second, I began crying. I cried for all the troubles I gave. I cried for all the people out looking for me. I cried for my Okaa-san **(Mother) **that I locked away. I cried for her death that I hid away. I cried for all the tears I wasn't allowed to show. I cried just for the sake of knowing that I was trouble; I was a burden.

"Eh? Eh? Don't cry! Eh? What do I do? Hinamori!" I heard the boy call out, panicked, over my tears. "Eh? She already went in! Eto…Come on."

He put me down on a porch, most likely Baa-chan's porch. I wiped the endless torrent of tears. He pulled my hands from my face, gently. "Come on; don't cry," he said weakly. "It's fine. You can hit me if you want. Did I say something mean?" I sniffed pathetically. I was making trouble for him, even though I didn't know him and he didn't know what he did either. "It's okay. If it makes you feel better, you can hit me. Just don't cry. I'm not good…with crying," he said, ending quietly.

"G-G-Gomennasai. I-I must be making a lot of trouble for you," I told him, feeling terrible.

"Huh? That's it? You're worried about making trouble for me?" he asked. I nodded, feeling very pathetic and at the next second I lost my train of thought. He kissed my cheek, only for a second, but enough to make my senses scramble. "You know, you're weird. Anyways, if it was trouble, I would have told you so," he said. He sat by me, holding one of my hands. "I bet that if there were more people like you, than the world would be happier," he said, closing his eyes. He lifted my hand up to his face and gently brushed his lips against my knuckles, making my brain scramble again. "Don't tell anyone, but I think that I kind of like people like you."

"A-A-A-A-Ano…Kisetsu-kun, where's Kisetsu-chan?" I asked him.

"Kisetsu?" he questioned, still grasping my hand between us.

"Who's Kisetsu?" Kisetsu-chan asked as she came out with some bandages on her face and a roll of bandages, for me I presumed.

"A-A-Ano…I-I-I don't know your names so…I made one up," I told them, blushing a little.

"How are we like Kisetsu?" Kisetsu-chan asked, fixing up my foot.

"E-E-E-E-Eto…" I started out, closing my eyes, thinking. "K-Kisetsu-chan is like Aki **(Autumn)** in the aspect that she's warm. Sh-She's kind of like the Aki where you run around playing in the leaves with your friends. T-The one who can't forget all those who have at one time or another made her happy even though they may betray her in the end. She's the one that brings together summer and winter who are total opposites. She connects them in a way that wouldn't have been possible alone. Even so, she's kind of naïve. She doesn't see the blisters of the summer or the harshness of the winter. She's the kind of person that doesn't see that. I think that's an admirable thing, being ignorant about the bad in good people. I wish I could do that. I can't though. I see them. I see them so clearly. So, I have to learn how to deal with it. Kisetsu-chan just doesn't see it so she doesn't have to deal with it. She also wants to be another. She wants to be summer or winter, because she thinks she's unimportant. In reality, she's more important than she realizes. She helps people get used to the cold weather and is the time when people harvest, the time where things are the best, the most plentiful, the time of hope and happiness. She tries her best though, to be herself. Kisetsu-chan just seems like that type of person.

"Demo Kisetsu-kun is more like the winter. He's cold on the outside; therefore, he only has a few people that get close to him. There would only be a few people that he would be willing to protect and help. So only helping when someone important to him does he do the job, fearing more for the person than himself. He really is cold to some people, on purpose or not, he is. Demo, he's also got a warm side. It's kind of a hidden trait. It's something that he doesn't show to many people. When it's winter, families stay together and spend more time with one another, having more fun and learning more about each other. When it's winter, friends have fun together, learning to get over the obstacle of the snow, getting closer than ever. So, Kisetsu-kun really is warm and like the other kids. Don't you think that winter really wants to become summer or spring? Don't you think that he wants to be like everyone else? I think he does. Maybe he just doesn't get how. Maybe he's really self-conscious and ends up pushing people away. Either way, he is unique. He just doesn't seem to see it, the joy that he does bring. He does make some people happy. It's just that he only sees the sadness it brings. He really has to open up. Maybe, if he saw the smiles by the fire at night or the snowball fights in the afternoon, maybe he might get it. He's like winter that way. He is cold, no denying. Even so, he's got a warm heart, only to be trusted in those he really cares for.

"Kisetsu-kun and Kisetsu-chan might think that 'Oh, we've only got each other. No one cares for naïve Aki and cold winter! Why would anyone?' but in reality, there's this whole world of people. Since every person is different, how couldn't there be someone else that would accept them? There has to be. Someone has to. Maybe, they need a summer or maybe they need a spring. You know? Every person is a different season. I think that maybe every season has a different partner. Every season is a bit different so every relationship has to be different too. Maybe there are some in between. Maybe someone can change. But, you know, life wouldn't be fun without knowing that. You have to know that. You have to be able to accept that maybe you won't have the easiest life. Even in this large place, maybe the person you need won't be able to meet you in this lifetime. Maybe you'll meet days, months, maybe even years later. You need to accept that even if you don't meet now, you'll meet later. It won't be easy. There'll be many hardships, but what's life without them?…" I trailed off, opening my eyes and realizing that I had been so emotional with people that I barely knew. I became a dark red, darting my hands up to hide my face, hiding in a corner.

"Shinsetsu-chan! It's fine. It was really nice how you talked about it. I wish I could do that. So…don't be so bashful ok?" Kisetsu-chan said, crouching by me.

"Why are you embarrassed about that of all things, Shinsetsu-chan?" I heard Kisetsu-kun say.

"Sh-Sh-Shinsetsu-chan?" I questioned them.

"Well," Kisetsu-chan began. "You're kind. You didn't kill any of the guys or even fatally injure them. Instead, you just knocked them out quickly, not even shedding any blood. You're embarrassed about compliments, which means that you didn't have them too often and you treasure it. That's really nice. Most people shrug it off like nothing, but you…you drink it up as if…as if…I don't know how to explain it. It's like it means more to you than anything. It's like you would do just about anything to have someone notice you for once or something…Ano…I'm not good at this…"

"What she means, is that it's your name to us now. Just accept it. After all, it won't matter even if you don't like it. We'll still call you that, Shinsetsu-chan," Kisetsu-kun said. I giggled.

"K-Kisetsu-kun really is nice," I said. He stuck out his tongue at me.

"Shiro-chan!~ It's not nice to do that to Shinsetsu-chan!" Kisetsu-chan whined. I looked up at the sky, seeing some leaves fly around.

"A-A-A-A-Ah! How am I supposed to get home? Otou-san is going to be angry!" I said, panicking.

"What do you mean? You shouldn't live too far, especially in this district. It should be close," Kisetsu-chan said.

"E-E-Eto…I mean…I'm not exactly sure how to put this, but…I'm from Konoha. I don't really know where I am," I tried to explain.

"Eh?" they both asked.

Hours passed as they explained about the "Soul Society" and the rules and such. They told me how they were souls too, the souls of dead people. I explained about Konoha and how I was still alive. I told them of how I had gotten there, the three of us trying to put our heads together to find out how to get back. After a while, we ended up just going the place where I had first came. I stuck my hand out, finding it disappearing. We had found the entrance.

"Ano…I'll see you later…?" I said, almost like asking a question. They nodded, Kisetsu-chan hugging me.

"Can I talk to you for a bit? _Alone_," Kisetsu-kun asked me, eyeing Kisetsu-chan. Kisetsu-chan noticed.

"I'll see you later, Shinsetsu-chan. Come back soon. I'll wait for you around the curb, Hitsugaya-kun," she said.

"So, be careful getting home ok? I'll really hate it if I find that I have to go rescue you or something, ok?" he said uncomfortably. "Aw, forget it. Just you know what I mean right?" he asked. I nodded. He gripped my arms and kissed me in the cheek again, this time, letting his head rest on my shoulder after, his cold lips brushing against my neck. I was blushing furiously and if that wasn't enough, one of his hands grabbed mine gently, rubbing circles on the back of it. Now, I was sure that I was redder than ever. His other hand ran itself through my short hair. Scratch that. _Now_, I was redder than ever. We stood like that for a while, just silently staying like this. He pulled away slowly, smiling. He kissed my forehead.

"I'll see you later…so…come back safe," he said, almost hesitantly. I nodded, entering back into Konoha. Every day after, I would visit. Some days, we would go play together. Other times, we would just sit together in silence and peace, enjoying each others' companies. As it turned out, Kisetsu-chan's birthday, June 3, had already passed a few days before I had entered their lives. I was surprised. The next visit, I brought several boxes of peaches and some jars of homemade cookies for her, also including an elaborate fan that I had bought. It had a light lavender background, a few peach blossom branches climbing in from the left, showing the blooming pink peach blossoms. On the right, her nickname, Aki, was written neatly. Soon, summer had passed into fall and fall into winter. By now, they always waited for me at the alley, people knowingly not bothering them or me when I came over. After certain "incidents" which involved some broken arms and bloody noses, they ignored us.

Soon, it was nearly Kisetsu-kun's birthday, December 20. I wasn't sure what to do. For sure, I had several watermelons and a container filled with homemade amanatto. _What else? Ah! _For the entire night of December 18, I made a charm. It was a supposed to be a flower, but I ended up making it into a round star-like clip. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but it was definitely just as good. I held it up to the moonlight. It shined, almost glowing. I spent some time painting it. I checked the clock. 1:05 A.M. I should sleep soon, but…I took out a brush, writing fuyu **(winter)** on it. I waited for the ink to dry, so that I could wrap it.

In the end, I fell asleep at my desk before. I woke up early like I had had drilled into me, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Otou-san came in.

"Hinata. Tomorrow, we will be having a private meal with someone important. No buts. You must do your best and then some to impress them." I nodded obediently.

"Ano…Today, I would like to request sleeping over at a friend's house over night. I promise that I will be back at the normal time," I permitted of him. He nodded.

"Do not get in the way of anyone," he said, closing the door behind him.

I sighed. There goes that, but…I had to make the best of today. That day, I told Kisetsu-kun and Kisetsu-chan. They were furious. I was missing out on Kisetsu-kun's birthday…

"Shinsetsu-chan…can we visit your home? We've never seen it before," they both asked. I was so hesitant to show them. Would they think less of me? Would they think I'm a burden? Would it just be as Otou-san said? Still, I ended up showing them, telling them that they had to stay quiet. They just sat in my bed for a while, admiring my room. After a while, we left back to their Baa-chan's home; their Baa-chan was very kind and gentle. We spent a lot of time, just sitting on the porch, Kisetsu-kun on my right, closest to the post, and Kisetsu-chan on my left. After a while, I felt tired, but didn't want to tell them. They began chatting about a school. I wasn't too sure about it. I drifted in and out of the conversation, trying to stay awake. I wasn't sure how, but I ended up leaning on Kisetsu-kun, both of them talking more quietly.

"Shiro-chan, let's go sleep together," she suggested.

"Sure," he said grunting. "Ano…You go set it up and call me when it's done. I'll bring Shinsetsu-chan after." Whenever it came to me, they never seemed to argue. Put an object down in front of them, any object and they'll argue and then agree, or argue forever until someone makes a decision for them. If it were I, for some reason, they would never argue. I never fully understood why. I heard rustling and some creaking.

"Hitsugaya-kun!~" I heard Kisetsu-chan whisper. I felt his arms gently pull me into his lap, carrying me close to his chest. Sleepily, I could barely make sense of the actions going on. He put me in the futon, laying down on my right afterwards. I could tell that Kisetsu-chan was laying down on my left. We were all lying down in a row, just sleeping together. That was all I could tell at the second, my mind diluted from the lack of sleep. I snuggled closer to my right, feeling warmer. There was some whispering going on. I could feel small senses of touch as well. Of what I could catch of the conversation it sounded like this:

"Hitsugaya-kun, is she ok? She seems cold."

"I'm not sure. She feels warm though."

"Are you sure?" I felt a slight press on my forehead.

"Yeah, she is warm, maybe a little too warm. What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're always so cold—I mean that in the sense of temperature."

"Eh? I don't notice."

"Of course you don't. Anyways, hug her close. Maybe she can absorb some of your coolness and you can absorb some of her warmth." I felt an arm enclose around me.

"Let's sleep now. I'm tired."

With that, my mind went blank as I fell into complete darkness. _Cold. So cold._ I woke up. I looked over to Baa-chan and Kisetsu-chan. They were all shivering. Strangely enough, Kisetsu-kun wasn't shivering at all. In fact, it almost seemed like the cold weather was swirling around him, almost like in an embrace. I pulled out an extra blanket from the closet and tossed it upon Baa-chan and took another, covering Kisetsu-chan with it. I was hesitant. I lay between the two again, trying my best to fall back asleep. He thrashed around a bit, restlessly sleeping. I held his hand, letting notes fall clumsily from my lips. His thrashes got calmer. Suddenly, he hugged me close while he buried his head in my shoulder. I hesitantly put my arms around him.

"Ki-Kisetsu-kun…?" I asked cautiously. He began sobbing. "Ki-Kisetsu-kun!" I said, slightly louder than usual.

"G-Gomennasai. Daijobou?" he asked me. He pulled apart from me to look at my face. I nodded. His eyes were tinted pink on the edges, emphasizing his eyes. Tears threatened to overflow as he breathed slightly raggedly.

"Ki-Kisetsu-kun? Daijobou?" I asked him. He began to nod, but shook his head. Boldly, I held him close, letting his head relax on my collarbone.

"D-Daijobou," I told him. "Y-You can cry if you want." He needed no other invitation. His hands twisted themselves into my clothes, as he cried. For a while, he just cried. Then, he just sat there, sniffling slightly. I sang. For a bit, it was silent, the exception being my song. Then, his grip slowly relaxed until he was mostly asleep. I held his hand, squeezing it a bit. Sluggishly, he looked at me with half-lidded eyes and smiled.

"You know, you look better with a smile on your face," I told him. He ignored it, hugging me close again. For a while, I was stiff while his sleepy, but still strong grip held me. _I wonder why he was crying…Oh well, he'll tell me if he wants…_Eventually, I drifted off. The next day, I got my backpack, leaving my presents to Kisetsu-kun that I had packed, and left before any of them could wake up. I got home earlier than expected, taking the time to dress nicely and make everything neat before preparing for the important guest. Though it was early, it was necessary to do this in order to make everything perfectly.

At the exact second they were supposed to come, a knock came on the door. I opened it, bowing politely.

"Ohayo," I said. An old man came in. He wore the traditional Hokage robes, his hat on his head. _It's the Hokage! What do I do?_

"You made it!" Otou-san said, bowing to him, smiling slightly.

"Hai! I never knew that your daughter had grown so much already!" he answered.

"Enough talk! Let's eat. I trust that you prepared an adequate meal, Hinata?" Otou-san asked, with a hint of pride in the undertone.

"Hai!" I answered. The two men talked all night while I ate silently. Otou-san looked happier than I had ever seen him that day. I overheard Otou-san tell Hokage-sama that he has a new fiancé and that they plan on marrying soon. _Oh how I wish for a sister! _The next day, they left promising to make it in time for my third birthday, which was around a week away. The days passed soon. I was unable to visit Kisetsu-kun, Kisetsu-chan, and Oba-chan during this time, for there was so much commotion. People were preparing for my birthday and Christmas, as well as New Years following around the corner with Okaa-san's death day soon after.

Before I knew it, it was the day after Christmas and my birthday, December 27. Neji-niisan, who was my older cousin, was no longer an acquaintance or someone that loved me. He, as of now, hated me with a strong passion for the loss of his Otou-san and for being part of the main branch. New Years passed with little incident, announcing the start of a new year, one with a sad one for I could not spend time with the ones that meant so much to me. A few days after Okaa-san's death day, I was finally able to go back. As it turned out, the tree, which had started out so small, had grown quite a lot. Nearly half of the hole had been covered. Upon entering, I ran full-speed to Baa-chan's house. As I came upon the house, I realized that it had been a long time.

"Ki-Kisetsu-chan? Kisetsu-kun? Baa-chan?" I called out. Baa-chan came out, still smiling kindly.

"Ah! Shinsetsu-chan! You've been away for quite some time!" she said. She explained to me what had happened to me while I was gone. Kisetsu-chan had been in the Academy for quite some time, leaving around fall and continuing to visit every day to see Kisetsu-kun and I. A few days ago, a woman had come, convincing Kisetsu-kun to leave for the Academy somehow. He had left tearfully and gratefully, asking her to give me several things from both of them if I happened to come by.

"For her birthday," he had said. As she showed me them, I resisted the urge to cry. From Kisetsu-chan was a bookmark of a pressed maple leaf and a hair band with a flower attached to it. From Kisetsu-kun was a homemade top **(like the toy, not the clothes)** painted white and the necklace I had been admiring in one of the stores, which was basically a golden heart locket. It wasn't too expensive, but it was definitely not cheap.

"Oi. They're visiting tomorrow. Ok?" Baa-chan said. I nodded. I bade her farewell, looking forward to tomorrow.

The next day, was a teary, happy, and amazing reunion. We had tons of fun together. They told me about their Academy adventures and I told them about my time at home. As I was going to leave, Kisetsu-chan told me about how worried Kisetsu-kun was, the latter retorting greatly, slightly flustered.

"I had a great time," I told them. "Thanks for everything." We stopped in front of the alley. "You both won't forget me while you guys are at the Academy will you?" I asked.

They rolled their eyes. "As if! You're too important to us! We promise!" Kisetsu-chan said.

"I want to talk to you alone again," he told Kisetsu-chan. As soon as she was out of sight, he embraced me tightly, an arm tangled in my hair and another around my waist. I blushed.

"Arigato," he whispered. I smiled, despite the awkward position.

"Iie. Arigato, to you," I told him. He pulled apart from me, only to brush his lips gently against my cheek. He smiled.

"I'll see you later," he told me. I nodded, unable to comprehend anything at that second. I left shyly.

For days after, my mood became darker. The two had been my suns. No matter how busy I was, my mind kept on drifting over to them. I mused over how I was able to go without them for the time of around two months from Christmas to my Okaa-san's death day.

I decided to visit them again around a week after, mainly because I missed them so. If anything, just to see Baa-chan again and perhaps hear some news. As it turned out, they were visiting during the night and I had come at the perfect time. I went home and told my Otou-san that I would be staying at a friends' house over night with permission. I packed the locket, which was too big for me to wear, my diary with the bookmark inside, the hair band with the flower, the white top, and an extra set of clothes. Then I went back. I stayed for hours waiting, just talking to Baa-chan. I saw them coming in against the night sky, with some other people. They talked, laughing together, coming this way. I walked up to them to greet them.

"Ohayo!" I called out to them. They ignored me. They were the right people. Who could miss Kisetsu-chan's neat brown hair and Kisetsu-kun's bright silver hair?

"Ano…Ki-" I started.

"Eh? Who's this?" One of the guys asked. He had red hair and had something tattooed on his forehead.

"Oh! Ano…Eto…Hmm…" Kisetsu-chan said. "Shiro-chan!~ Do you know?" Kisetsu-kun ignored them, preferring to look over to the side at something. "Shiro-chan!~ Answer!"

"Iie. Leave me alone," he stated, not looking in my direction.

"Anyways, we need to get home. We'll see you around!" Kisetsu-chan said, brushing past me. _They…forgot me? I thought that they said that they wouldn't…forget…Please! Remember! Don't forget! You mean the world to me! Don't…forget…_

I ran, bumping past Kisetsu-kun, their friends, and other people. Tears burned my eyes and overflowed onto my cheeks. _I thought that they said they wouldn't forget!_ I had left my bag back at Baa-chan's house and I had some important things in there, demo…I couldn't bring myself to go back there and face them._ How could I? They forgot me._ Completely drained, I walked home, not able to bring myself to go back for answers at the very least. I went home, getting angrier at every step. In fury, I attacked a nearby tree. _How dare they?_ The tree cracked. _How could they?_ The tree splintered, nearly falling down. _Why did they forget me?_ It crashed down. _I thought we promised! I thought that we were…going to be together…forever…_I sat at the base of the now-broken tree. I wept. My anger swept away. In it's place, sorrow appeared. Already, I missed them. I was brought home by a nearby shinobi who heard the crash, not able to answer my questioning Otou-san or the murmurings of the other members of my family. Otou-san's new fiancé tried to coax me into answering, entering my room as I climbed into bed. I sat with a tight lip, asking her to leave as politely as I could. I fell asleep restlessly, barely to sleep at all.

For days, I locked myself in my room. Only eating what people brought to me. I wouldn't leave. For an entire week, I could barely sleep or function. I sat on my bed, crying until I just couldn't cry anymore. Time began to blur, each day undistinguishable from the next. I was unable to comprehend much and my grades, as well as Otou-san's confidence in me, began to dwindle. Finally, in a desperate act to return me to normal, Otou-san as well as several of the other family members, both elders and branch members, kicked me out of the house, telling me to go take a walk and clear my head.

I was touched by their concern and wandered around aimlessly. I walked, soon finding myself staring at the now, too-large tree that covered the passage. Even without meaning to, I walked towards them, my suns. _It was too late._ I collapsed, sitting with my face in my hands. _Why didn't I go back there and demand answers?_ Tears overflowed. _Why was I such a coward?_ I wanted to scream. _Was it…too late?_

I thought about my first moments with them. I wondered about those in between. I recalled their last few reactions. I put my hand to my forehead. _Did I really want to?_ No. _Should I?_ I don't know. _How much have I changed?_ Very. _Was it worth it?…_Yes…The loneliness, the want, the pain. It was too much…

With that, they were locked away.

I woke up, my eyes darting towards both of them.

"Ah! I-I-I-I-I-I-I've got to go somewhere! G-G-G-G-Gomennasai!" I called out, running. I slowed down as I came upon the West gate to the Rukongai **("wandering soul city") **and stopped, panting slightly. (After all, the run from Squad 4's Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho to the gate was very long.)

_I had to…see Baa-chan…demo…_I put a hand on the wall, sighing. _I couldn't bring myself to go._ I slumped down, discouraged. The gatekeeper, Jidanbo, looked over, asking me if I need to go in. I shook my head. _What should I do?_

I decided I might as drop off my bag that I had grabbed as well as the sleeping bag, if anything. There, I met Rukia Kuchiki. She had black, shoulder-length hair and purple eyes. A strand stood between her eyes, giving her a special sort of look. Then again, it seemed leaving a strand of hair in front of the face was usual given Kuchiki-taicho-san's interesting, yet glamorous hair style. She was going to be my roommate from now on. She was taller than me by about half a foot and her appearance was one of a serious, yet kind, person. Without a doubt, that was what she was like too.

"Oh! Ohayo! You must be Hinata Hyuga! I hope that we become good friends!" she said, shaking my hand. I nodded. Her smile slightly faltered.

"Ah! Gomennasai, demo, I've had a long and not-the-best day, if you understand, Kuchiki-san," I told her, realizing how cold I was being. She nodded enthusiastically.

"How about a cup of tea? That always helps," she suggested.

"Arigato, demo I'm going to go for a run," I told her. She nodded.

"I'll see you when you get back," she said. I nodded, throwing in a smile. With that, I changed into a black tank top and green shorts, tying on my sneakers all in record time. I used shunpo to go the West gate once more. I looked around. _Should I really visit? One way to find out._

I ran. It was amazing. The wind seemed to try and keep pace, only to fall short and brush through my hair. Sweat poured off in buckets, much like when I had trained for hours back in Konoha. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, helping me make all the laps around the Seireitei **(Court of Pure Souls)**. My ninja skills expected an attack from any side. My Shinigami skills wanted me to just use shunpo and be over with it. Thinking about Konoha made me miss everyone and wonder how they were doing. Thinking about Shinigami shunpo and running made me think of Hikari-chan. _Hikari-chan…_

Flashback…

"Come on Hinata-chan! I'm telling you, shunpo will do you no good if you want to look like a real human if you go into the real world! Besides, don't you know? Plain, old running helps you build stamina and can help some people think better, or not think at all. Try it with me! I used to do horribly when I was alive, but I'm doing so much better. I bet that since you were good at running when you were alive, you'd be amazing right now!" she said. Without much of a choice, I joined her. I smiled. She giggled, seeing my face.

"See? I told you so!~" she stated, picking up the pace. I matched it. For the entire time, we ran, trying to beat the other. At the very end, we collapsed on the grass, staring up at the orange, sunset-colored sky. We took one look at each other and laughed. Afterwards, it was a tradition to run together.

End of Flashback…

Thinking of this made me picture Hikari-chan next to me, carrying the clear water bottle she would always bring. Her normal hairstyle would have been changed. Normally, she had her hair parted to the side with no bangs to show. She would wear her headband, putting the rest up in a ponytail with a spare hair band that she always wore on her wrist. She looked at me, smiling.

"Let's go!" she would say. I smiled too.

"Un!" I answered. Even knowing that she wasn't there beside me, I could still feel her. So, I raced her, knowing exactly when she would speed up and when she would stick her tongue out at me, seeing me staring at her.

"Come on! I'll race you to the end," she would say, breathing heavily. In the end, I would speed up the tiniest bit to beat her and we would both lie down in the grass, smiling and laughing. This time, I let her run ahead, seeing her smile back at me and saying, "Beat you! I call shower first!" I smiled, despite knowing that she wasn't there physically. I was wary of the tears running down my cheeks, despite my smiling and the West Gate coming upon me. I stopped there, carrying the clear water bottle that Hikari-chan would always carry. I had taken it in the closet almost unknowingly. I drank it thankfully. I now understood why she always carried it. In truth, it had increased my stamina and did make my head clearer. Running was a habit that I had picked up from Hikari-chan and I was eternally grateful. I wondered how I was able to do without it before at times. It was so helpful and never failed to work wonders. _Arigato Hikari-chan…_

I stood there for a while, my head resting on the West gate, breathing slightly hard.

"Oi!~" I heard him say a few feet behind me. I turned around.

"H-H-H-H-Hitsugaya-taicho-san! A-Ano, what are you doing here?" I asked him, resisting the urge to stutter much more than that.

"Yamamoto-taicho wants to talk to you. Something about your duties," he said, staring me in the eye. I looked away, racing past him.

"A-Arigato. I-I'll see you around!" I called out, rushing back to Kuchiki-san's and my room. _I could barely speak those few sentences to him without breaking down…_I thought miserably. I showered quickly, tossing on a knee-length white skirt and an indigo shirt, much like the shade of Hikari-chan's eyes. I rushed out, leaving my zanpakuto in my room. I used shunpo to rush to his room and was able to get there within a short time as I thought about things that happened with _them_. I had met Kisetsu-kun and Kisetsu-chan in summer during a drizzle, in the middle of June at the age of 2. I ended up losing them in the winter when I was 3 years old, in January. I once again met Kisetsu-kun in the winter once again, at the age of 13, sometime in January. _How odd. Hikari-chan's birthday is in January. The time for change and renewal._ I mused. _The time for light to be shed…_

The next day brought a job as spending time taking care of Squad 13's taicho and paperwork since the fukutaicho had recently been…erm…relieved of duty. I woke up early, asking Kuchiki-san if she knew much about it as we changed and got ready for a new day.

"Ano…He is an amazing man. He always talked about the 'heart' that was born every time two things would meet. He would say that even if I had died right now, then I would still be part of his 'heart' since we both met and connected. He was down-to-earth and taught me about being in a squad. He didn't treat me like some noble. He was an amazing man. His wife was admirable. She was kind and beautiful, the third seat of the squad. His wife was killed by a hollow and he had to defend his pride so…I couldn't interfere and neither could Ukitake-taicho. He was taken over by the hollow. He was fighting Ukitake-taicho and I…I couldn't do anything. I was so scared when he lunged at me. Then, I drew my sword. I was so determined to not die and now…I can never be forgiven. His blood has stained my sword…I can't ever be forgiven…" she trailed off.

I thought for a moment. "How do you know that? Have you done anything? He was trying his best. I bet that if anything, he was glad that his body wasn't eaten and his efforts weren't wasted. If he's the guy you describe he is, then he is fine with what happened, knowing that you and Ukitake-taicho-san are ok and that he has restored his pride. Don't worry about it! I'm sure that wherever he is, that he's forgiven you for something that doesn't need to be restored." I smiled at her. "I'm sure that he's proud of you wherever he is. Besides, if he sees you mourning and doing nothing, then how do you think he feels? Get up on your feet. I'll race you to the Squad quarters! No shunpo! Ready! Set! Go!" I yelled, starting off by throwing open the doors and running. I ran slowly, letting Kuchiki-san have time to catch up.

Sure enough, I heard her footsteps slowly approaching. I turned around smiling. "Come on, Kuchiki-chan! I'll beat you there!" Her eyes were a mix between surprised and happy. She smiled, a new light in her eyes.

"Un!" She ran beside me, both of us keeping a steady pace to reach the barracks. The barracks were soon ahead of us. I sped up a little bit, beating her there.

"You know, Kuchiki-chan…you should keep on smiling," I said, not even out of breath. I had one hand on the doorway.

"Nani?" she asked curiously, on her knees trying to catch her breath.

"You look better that way…and I think that Shiba-fukutaicho-san and Shiba-san can rest easier. That way, people can know that you're ok. You shouldn't force it though. I think that it should be in reach, that it should be simple to smile and know that everything is ok. Don't you agree, Kuchiki-chan?" I asked her, turning and smiling.

With that, I walked to the meeting room to introduce myself as the fukutaicho, for now anyways. Ukitake-taicho-san greeted me first.

"Ohayo. You must be Hinata Hyuga, my fukutaicho for a few days or so. My, you're younger than I thought," he said. He had long, white hair parted to one side and brown eyes. He wore the traditional Shinigami outfit and taicho haori with a white obi to carry his zanpakuto.

"Hai. I would be honored to serve under you and help you with your paperwork while you recuperate from your tuberculosis attacks," I told him. He nodded, yelling to get everyone's attention.

"Minna-san! Please pay attention!" They quieted down immediately.

"Ohayo minna-san. My name is Hinata Hyuga. I will be substituting as your fukutaicho for the next couple of days. Please treat me well," I said, bowing at the end. I heard whispering going through the crowd. I stood straight, looking around.

"Aren't you a little young to be a Shinigami?" someone called out. I thought for a moment.

"I guess so!" I answered, smiling. I could hear dubious comments slither by. "Eto…How about I verse some of you?" I suggested.

"Eh?" I heard Kuchiki-chan say.

"Un! I'm not deaf or blind. I can hear the unsure comments and the dubious looks. This way, I can get a good warm-up and prove that I'm suited for fukutaicho at the same time!" I explained.

"Demo…" she tried to say. I looked at her.

"Trust me. You'll see. It will turn out fine," I told her.

With that, all the members were gathering around the battlefield. I was battling the two third seats at once, using everything except bankai or shikai. Kiyone Kotetsu, sister of Isane Kotetsu, had short, dark blond hair and gray eyes. Her white collar protruded from under her Shinigami uniform, matching her white gloves. Sentaro Kotsubaki had black hair and black eyes, accented by the white headband and white shoulder straps he wore. Kotsubaki-san had a pointy beard and as far as I had heard, often battled with Kotetsu-san. _I wonder how well they battle together…_

"Begin!" Kuchiki-chan said. Kotsubaki-san and Kotetsu-san both fell into position, determination written on their faces. I slid into my own position, one of my own creation, a mix between those of the Soul Society and those of Konoha. They both came at me at once, Kotsubaki-san trying to sweep me off my legs with Kotetsu-san aiming a punch at my head. I moved to the side, chopping a hand to Kotsubaki-san's neck. He fell over immediately as Kotetsu-san backed away.

"Sai! **(Restrain!)**" I yelled, binding Kotetsu-san's hands behind her back. She struggled, finding it difficult to even stand. I grabbed the front of her shirt, chopping a hand to her neck as well. I released the bakudo, putting my hands behind my head.

"Eh? I thought that this could be a great warm-up!" I complained. "I'm going to be taking care of some paperwork in the office! See you later," I said, walking towards the office. I could feel the surprised stares following my back and the gaping faces frozen. I turned back to look at them.

"You're faces are going to stick like that. Get to work! Kuchiki-chan, can you give me a hand?" I told/asked as I lifted my opponents. Kuchiki-chan was frozen for a moment more.

"Ah! Hai!" she said, helping me lift Kotetsu-san and Kotsubaki-san. I heard people beginning to talk. I stopped at the doorway with Kuchiki-chan a little bit behind me.

"I thought I said to get to work. If I find anyone slacking off, that person gets to be my sparring partner for the day. If you guys need anything, come talk to me. I'll help. I leave them to you, Ukitake-taicho-san," I said, leaving. I heard the scurrying sound of feet as they left to do their jobs. Kuchiki-chan looked at me.

"Was that really necessary? I mean, sparring with them like this and threatening the workers?" she asked curiously.

I thought for a moment. "Well, the sparring was just because I hate it when people underestimate me and threatening…Well, it was basically because Ukitake-taicho-san has a lot of work and, no offense, but your squad members have been slacking!" I told her smiling. "Besides, I told you, didn't I? I told you to trust me." She smiled, giggling a bit.

"Un!" she said. Together, we hauled the two to my office. Without a second thought, I pinched them on their neck, effectively waking them up.

"Ah! You both woke up!" I told them smiling.

"Ah!" Kotetsu-san said, sitting up. "We didn't do very well. You are truly a strong fukutaicho!" she said, eyes gleaming. I smiled sheepishly.

"Kotetsu-san, Kotsubaki-san. Would the two of you please go do your jobs? I need to take care of the paperwork here," I explained to them. They saluted automatically, trying to out-yell each other into who is going to do it faster and better. "Dismissed," I said. They left, arguing the whole way. I turned to Kuchiki-chan. "You can leave if you want. All I'm going to be doing is paperwork, the worst part of being a taicho or fukutaicho," I told her. She nodded, pausing by the door.

"I'll see you later," she said almost asking me. I nodded.

"Hai! I'll definitely see you later," I told her. I looked around. There were bookshelves lined up neatly against the left wall, many books covering the shelves. A desk stood in front of it with a fancy leather chair standing behind it.. There were several small windows along the front wall and a tall plant in the corner between the front wall and the right wall. Around the middle of the room, a black, leather couch was placed, its back to the desk, with a table in front of it. Another couch stood in front of the table. I eyed the desk, piled high with papers with a few additional stacks by it. _Wow. What am I doing gawking? I'm not going to finish anything if I stand here like this!_ With that, I spent much time on the paperwork for the sick taicho and absent fukutaicho. My hope was that I could clear all the paperwork so that Ukitake-taicho-san would not have any need to look over these for a while. After several piles, I looked up at the clock. _Two hours…_There was a knock on the door.

"Hai? Come in," I said, cracking my neck. The door opened.

"Hinata-san? You're still here? I thought that you would have ditched all the paperwork by now," Kuchiki-chan said, opening the door hesitantly. I wiped sweat off my brow.

"Un. I've been here fore the whole two hours. Who knew that time could pass by so quickly?" I asked her, smiling. She placed a tray in front of me. It had a few onigiri and a glass of water.

"Huh? Oh, arigato," I told her. I took a drink of water, biting into one of onigiri.

"Hinata-san, aren't you tired?" she asked, hesitantly. I thought for a moment.

"Kind of, demo I need to finish this. Ukitake-taicho-san has not been feeling well lately and I don't think that wasting his time over paperwork is good for him," I explained, a little sheepish. She stood there for a moment.

"Would you like any help? With anything?" she asked, slightly rushed. I smiled at her.

"Eto…Can you bring these papers to Yamamoto-soutaicho-san?" I asked of her, pointing my pen towards one of the medium piles. She nodded, grabbing the giant stack of finished papers. She walked out, closing the door with her foot after. I took another bite, getting back to the rest of the work, which was mostly around a half of the original size. _The onigiri tastes nice…_

An hour and a half later, I stretched my hands up, satisfied to feel the tension from my shoulders release. I looked at the complete paperwork proudly.

"Done!~" I shouted. _I don't want to make multiple trips…Ah! I'm such an idiot! I should have used it earlier! I would have spent less time on this paperwork!_ I put my hands together in familiar signs. With that, I had made several shadow clones. Chakra was actually a mix of reiryoku and physical energy. To my surprise, I found that my physical energy had limited my chakra for I had way more reiryoku. Though it was difficult, I had found a way to use jutsus once again with the help of Hikari-chan and our zanpakuto. We each grabbed a pile, walking out of the door. I had grabbed the one headed to Squad 10. I walked there slowly, feeling everyone else rush to deliver the pile fast as to get rest after. I was tired as well, but the prospect of meeting Hitsugaya-taicho-san made me on edge. Several different shadow clones dissipated, leaving only a few left. I felt the one going to Squad 6 disperse. A few seconds later, the one to Squad 4 was done. Soon after, the one for Squad 2 dispersed. Only a few seconds later, did the one for Squad 1 dissipate. I had the last pile in my hands. I stood at the front of the Squad 10 barracks for a few moments, lingering. With a deep breath, I walked inside, walking around. I walked around several people, apologizing. After a while, I nearly crashed into Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san.

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san, would you please lead me to Hitsugaya-taicho-san's office?" I asked.

"Eh? Why? Ah! Don't tell me! You like him!" she squealed, getting ahead of herself.

"Ano, Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san? It's because I have some paper work to turn in," I explained.

"Eh?~ That's boring!~ Fine. I'll take you there," she decided. She walked a few feet ahead of me, leading me there. I walked behind her, trying not to drop the papers that I had spent quite a while on. After a while, she opened a door to the left.

"Taicho!~ Hinata-chan is here with work!" she said. I walked in, trying to see around the stack.

"H-Hitsugaya-taicho-san, where do I put this?" I asked. The room was much like all of the others, if my memories from the shadow clones were any indication.

"Just leave it by the desk," he said in his monotone voice. He laid on the couch, reading papers.

"Hai," I said, maneuvering my way to his desk. I dropped it down, catching the few that had flown up. I put them back, standing behind the couch.

"You know, lying there is just going to give you a head ache and a cramp," I told him. Matsumoto-fukutaicho-san came behind me, pushing me over the edge of the couch. With that, I landed on him with a shout, my head against his chest. I could hear his heart pounding. _Thump! Thump! Thump!_ I could feel the warmth of his skin, much like how I recalled from my memories. It was cold, but at the same time warm. I was aware of the blush crawling up my face and the embarrassment settling in. Under 5 seconds, I bolted up, stuttering out an apology, stuttered out an angry remark to Matsumoto-taicho-san, and left, running towards Squad 13's barracks.

I collapsed on the chair that I had sat on for over 3 hours, pulling my knees up to my chest, trying to calm my beating my heart as well as to stop the embarrassment from overflowing. Several minutes passed before I uncoiled my legs from my chest, taking a deep breath. I stood up slowly, a bit carefully. I left the room and headed towards Ukitake-taicho-san's room. I knocked twice.

"Come in," I heard him say, coughing a bit. I entered, bowing respectfully.

"Ukitake-taicho-san," I started. "The paperwork has been completed." I explained to him a basic summary of all that had been written. "Is there anything else that you need done?" I asked him. He smiled, lying down in a futon.

"Arigato," he said, smiling. "The paperwork had been backed up for so long and no one really wants to do it. Oh! That reminds me!" he exclaimed. He sat up, pulling a bunch of sweets out of nowhere, handing them to me.

"Here's some crackers. Oh, some cookies. I have some candy here too! Oh look! I forgot about these!" With each sentence, he piled more into my arms. Eventually, I had an armload of candy.

"Ano…Ukitake-taicho-san? What's with all the sweets?" I asked him.

"I thought you might like some. I give them to someone else too," he said, getting slightly off-topic.

"Arigato, demo…" I trailed off.

"Well, if you want more, you can come by later. I'll prepare some more. For now, you're dismissed," he said. "If you're bored, why don't you visit the other squad members? I'm sure that they'll be glad to have you helping them." He gave me a smile, ushering me out. I dropped off the sweets in my room, wondering how long it will take to finish them all. _A long time._ Only a few minutes were spent dawdling as I went back. For the rest of the day, I spent time helping squad members finish reports, kill boredom, and hone their skills. I noticed that most mission reports were not as detailed as they should be. People seemed to have heard all the stories to tell, except mine. Members were beginning to lack in their skills, some preferring to not train once out of the Academy. I was definitely going to change that.

The next day, I helped out in Squad 2, being in charge of the Nest of Maggots, or the Detention Unit, for the Onmitsukido **(secret tactics)** member whom had gotten sick. Soifon-taicho-san had long, black hair that she puts into two long braids, bound with white cloth. She wears the traditional outfit Onmitsukido uniform with the sleeveless white haori. She was petite, but tough, and was short, but still towered over me. Soifon-taicho-san explained about the job to me. No weapons were allowed; therefore, people were to only use their bare hands to guard the place. Upon hearing my abilities in hand-to-hand combat, she had wanted to see them for herself. She would come down with me into the Maggots' Nest, as it was sometimes called, and guard the place with me. Then, if she deemed me proficient, then she would leave me there for the night. If she believed I was unfit, then she would find something else for me to do, assigning another member the job.

With that introduction, she led me to the Maggots' Nest. There, many prisoners stayed. Well, more than I expected anyways. They all looked at Soifon-taicho-san with slight fear and respect, getting out of her way. Me? They looked down on me, without a doubt. Why? Well, I was still the same size of when I had first come into the Soul Society, which was around 4 feet and 2 inches. **(P.S. Hinata is actually 4 feet and 10 inches during Naruto, but I made her shorter so that she'd be shorter than Hitsugaya because he's 4 feet and 4 inches.)** Besides the fact that I was shorter than most Shinigami, I was pretty sure that the fact that I was a girl was making them under estimate me.

"Don't throw us out of the match!" I could hear both Yoganudewa and Iyashihikari yell angrily from inside my head. I was fully capable of hearing them from long distances, leaving me with support, and the occasional remarks, wherever I went. I inwardly sighed. Combat…Yoganudewa and Iyashihikari helped me make my own style made from taijutsu from Konoha and hakudo from the Seireitei.

Flashback…

We were in my mind, like most nights, training.

Today, was hand-to-hand combat.

"Oi!~ Hinata-chan!~ Now we're going to work on hand-to-hand combat!" Iyashihikari yelled out to me. She had a bubbly personality. She was mature, however, as she never failed to remind me of an onee-chan. Hikari-chan had even told me several times about how she had always wanted an onee-chan. Iyashihikari was in her human form as well as Yoganudewa.

Iyashihikari had the same hair and eyes as Hikari-chan. Her waist-length hair was parted to the side, on the opposite side of Hikari-chan's, and had a headband with a white snowdrop flower attached to it worn just like Hikari-chan did. She was taller and more developed than Hikari-chan, looking almost like an older Hikari-chan. She wore a white, spaghetti-strap, and knee-length dress that had a black stripe down the left side. It was accompanied by a small, white cross necklace with small, dangling cross earrings. Both pieces of jewelry seemed to be made of tiny diamonds or pearls. On her left hand, she had a bracelet with the two charms that I had given Hikari-chan, the yellow yarrow (health and healing) and the mixed zinnia (thinking of an absent friend) on a thin chain.

Yoganudewa had black hair and blue eyes, much like how she was in her animal form. Her hair was waist-length and seemed to bring out her eyes. She wore a dress that changed colors constantly, which made it impossible for me to say it was a solid color or a specific color. It was short-sleeved and ended a little bit past her knees, flowing gently from absent wind. She had on two different earrings, a blue flame, that actually burned, and a silver diamond that seemed to contain air. In her hair was a rose clip, which also changed colors, much like her dress. A bracelet with the charms of a pink plum blossom (solidity, firmness, luck of 5 Chinese blessings) and a purple fleur-de-lis (flame) was around her right wrist.

"Hand-to-hand combat?" I questioned. "Which one? Taijutsu or hakudo?" They both looked at each other like they had some secret.

"Both!" they both yelled at once, Yoganudewa's doting mother side showing through. Another thing, her doting mother side was the one that worked me hard, complimenting me, but not telling me what I do wrong, while the responsible side was the one that worked me hard, pointing out my flaws to correct them.

"Eh?" I asked. Yoganudewa was the taijutsu expert while Iyashihikari was the hakudo expert. Without a doubt, they would not go easy on me.

They both nodded. "We also have to add in kido, hoho, and zanjutsu. There will also be times where you won't be able to use one, or some, or all. We have lots of work to do! Come on Hinata-chan!" _Oh boy…_

End of Flashback…

It had taken some time, but we had perfected it. In reality, I just moved with instinct. Hand-to-hand combat involved knowing your surroundings and your opponents, taking advantage of their placement and movement. Back to the Maggots' Nest, the men stared me down like a piece of meat. _Game time._

I straightened my shoulders, erasing my emotions for the time being. I looked at each one in the eye, sending them each a Hyuga Glare mixed with a Hikari-chan Glare and Zanpakuto Glare, my own personal glare. As I expected, most walked away, pretending I wasn't worth it. I inwardly smiled.

"Soifon-taicho-san. How long do I have to prove that I am worth this position?" I asked her. She glanced at me, looking around.

"5 minutes," she said at last. I bowed.

"I will not let you down," I said. With that, I turned around, finding one of the bigger prisoners lunging at me like I had suspected he would. I held his fist in my palm.

"I'm afraid that size will not help you," I said, calmly. "In fact," I glanced up at him with a strong gaze, "it will be your downfall." I pushed his fist aside, grabbing onto his shirt and throwing him over my head, smacking into the wall. The smoke cleared quickly, the other prisoners charging. I jumped up, doing the splits in mid-air to kick people on my left and right, both falling over immediately. I swept the person in front of me off his feet, most likely knocked out. I punched one in the gut, sending him flying. I noticed a man trying to creep behind me. I reached behind me, grabbing his shirt and sending him flying towards the crowd in front of me. Many people began to dog pile me. Only a few seconds later I stood by Soifon-taicho-san, watching the guys beat each other up.

"I'm afraid that my size is very useful here, ne, Soifon-taicho-san?" I asked her. "Should I break them up?" I asked of her. She thought for a moment.

"Do as you deem fit. I'm leaving. Ja ne," she said.

"Ja ne, Soifon-taicho-san!~" I waved to her. She left, the prisoners finally noticing that I wasn't at the bottom of the pile.

"Look," I said to them menacingly, turning around to face them. "I don't really care why any of you are here. I don't really care how you guys act. Demo," I added a hint of malice and ice, narrowing my eyes a bit. "I hope none of you try and escape or attack me. You'll spend some time as my personal sparring partner. Just so you know, I don't care if I have to verse all of you either." I looked each one in the eye. "You'll all just end up eating rocks." I could hear several gulping. I noticed some of them backing away slowly.

Behind me, several people were gathering some boulders, to drop on me, without a doubt. I turned around, looking every single one of those people in the eye. They all froze, caught in the act. I picked up a nearby pebble, tossing it up in the air and catching it several times. _This will do…_

I threw it at one of them as it hit them in the mouth, ricocheting and hitting the boulder. It hit another. It bounced like that for a while, hitting each one on the face until it returned back to me. I caught it, a few inches beside my head.

"I thought that I said to not try any escapes or attacks on me. I told you that you would end up eating rocks and be my sparring partner. Now. Prepare yourself. If you don't, you might just spend the night with a healer, me." I got into position, counting to ten. Several tried to run as I defeated them. They got the worst of the attacks. The ones that stayed and tried to fight merely got off with simple things. I looked at the pile.

"I thought I said to prepare. Tch. Figures. No one bothers to listen to a girl less than half their size. They should start," I said. I walked over a little bit in front of the door. I turned to them, sitting down. They all slightly flinched.

"Go back to what you guys were doing before I came. Unless, of course, someone wants to verse me…?" I asked/said. They all turned away, grumbling. I smirked the tiniest bit. I could hear Iyashihikari and Yoganudewa cheering in my head. I recalled the long battle it took to perfect the techniques.

Flashback…

"Come on! I know you can do better! There's an opening here!" _Punch!_ I fell to the ground from Iyashihikari's rough attack, picking myself up and aiming kicks at their heads. I wasn't in good shape.

"There you go! Don't forget about your surroundings!" _Crash!_ I crashed into a boulder from Yoganudewa's surprising force, smashing it to bits. Neither were they, however.

"Don't ignore your opponents!" Yoganudewa said, flying down. "They won't go easy on you!" Iyashihikari added, following her. _Sching!_ I drew my sword in time to block theirs. My arms shook a little. I wasn't going to lose.

"And neither will we!" They cried that in unison, pushing harder. I smiled. I was going to win!

"Tch! I never asked you to either!" I pushed their swords down, effectively winning. I smiled as they did too. We laughed as I got off of them. They congratulated me.

"As if!" I turned around, my hands behind my head. "You guys are good sensei, that's all." I turned to them smiling. They both couldn't resist as they glomped me.

"Itai! **(Ouch!)**" I murmured. They both got up and smiled sheepishly. I smiled back.

End of Flashback…

Before I knew it, the night was over. The prisoners had tried to escape two more times, both utter failures. I met with Soifon-taicho, giving her a descriptive summary of what happened. She dismissed me as I left to visit the 13th division. I worked on all the paperwork there again, using a shadow clone to help me. This time, I finished around an hour, giving the summary to Ukitake-taicho and reporting to Yamamoto-soutaicho-san. I was supposed to work in Squad 12, but without arguments, I was able to persuade him that I wasn't really cut out for research. For a while, I did paperwork and helped other members, gaining myself a reputation. I was the one to ask for advice on anything. I was the one that was the most bogged down on paperwork, considering I have to do it for the taicho and fukutaicho of Squad 13, but did it the fastest. I was the one that was apparently a great teacher. I was also the one that sent many people to the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho. Several times, Pachi-kun would come and spar with me, just like we had before. Every thing I did, however, seemed out of place. I missed Konoha. _What could I do about it?_

Before I knew it, it had been two months since I first died. I stood on the top of the Senzaikyu, staring at the sky. _The sky…_No matter where I went, the sky was always a reminder that there were people in this world caring for me. Sunrise reminded me of Chouji-kun and Shino-kun, their subtle, sweet personality. Morning reminded me of Sakura-chan, TenTen-chan, Temari-chan, and Ino-chan, the never-ending admiration for them and their attitude. Afternoon was like Naruto-kun, Lee-kun, Kankuro-kun, and Kiba-kun, their loud enthusiasm; Shikamaru-kun too, his lazy, calculating attitude. Evening was like Neji-niisan, Sasuke-kun, and Gaara-kun, their cold, but warm personality. The night sky used to be nothing, just a sky that held the hopes of the people late at night, also the time where hearts were pounded and broken; it included times where I was the one pounded and broken.

Hikari-chan became the one reserved for night. She loved stargazing. She didn't care for constellations. She just loved the stars and the moon. She used to say that even though science proved something else, she said that she had a dream where the moon was made of dreams. She would say that people dreaming kept the moon alive. There were dreams about jobs or relationships. It wouldn't matter. She believed that science was something that Kami-sama created to fool us. She thought that stars were hope. She thought that every time one was born, so was a new hope. As one died, the person had given it up. With Hikari-chan as the new night, it was hard to say it was terrible. _Kami-sama…_

The Kami-sama she loved so much? Well, she was a Christian when she was alive, and she still was. She believed that the world had sinned so much that Kami-sama decided to give those who might have not gone to heaven a second chance, here in the Soul Society. That was why she wanted to become a Shinigami. It wasn't just to save souls, but it was also to meet new people. Most people laughed at her, and she shrugged it off so easily. She would say, "If you don't believe me, fine. If you laugh at me, go ahead. If you laugh at Kami-sama, I'll meet you in H-E-double hockey stick. So buzz off. The least you can do is try and be nice and not be a bully."

The sky didn't remind me of just people. Sunrise reminded me of the days that I would get up early to train, sometimes meeting Lee-kun and Gai-sensei, as well as other people, along the way. Sometimes, I thought of Hikari-chan waking me up for a jog. Morning reminded me of days of the Academy and getting missions as a genin. Occasionally I would think about the breakfast I would always make for Hikari-chan and I, or the paperwork I now do. Afternoon was when I would train later than anyone else on my team and the days when Kisetsu-kun and Kisetsu-chan would play with me. Night was like when Hikari-chan would tell me about her hopes and dreams, or the time I slept over at Baa-chan's house, but it was also the time that was painful. It was the time where I would be sparring and be losing and the time when a promise was broken. No matter how I thought of it, however, I couldn't bring myself to hate the night.

As I looked at the sky, I became more homesick. I missed Konoha, the fresh air, the shady streets, and the bustling markets. Everything. I felt someone come behind me. It was him.

"Konnichiwa, Hitsugaya-taicho-san," I said.

"Must you always come up here?" he asked. I nodded. Everyday after paperwork or any jobs, and occasionally between jobs, I would come up here. Most of my free time was spent here as well.

"Do you like sitting on top of the building with the most sorrow?" he asked, humor freezing his tone slightly. I shook my head, letting myself smile a bit.

"Iie. It has the best view of the sky. It brings back memories," I told him. He raised an eyebrow slightly. I turned to him as he looked up. He looked tired.

"Sodesuka. **(I see.)** Yamamoto-taicho called for you," he said shortly. I nodded, letting myself fall from the tower, like before. **(See Chapter 10.)** He followed; his landing was better. Together, we used shunpo to arrive to Yamamoto-soutaicho's office.

"Arigato. You're getting stronger. You're landing was better," I said to him. "Demo, you need more sleep. You look tired." I blushed a little, entering the door before he could say anything. I took a deep breath, calming my heart. I bowed respectfully to Yamamoto-soutaicho. I straightened up, sitting in front of the table. He sat on the other side, tea poured into two cups. There was a teapot and cream and sugar there too. In the center was a plate of chocolate-chip cookies. _Hikari-chan always liked those with milk…_

"Ah! There you are, Hinata-chan. I see that he found you. Have you…?" he trailed off. He took a sip of his tea, putting it down gently on the plate. I stared at the tea, my hands feeling the warmth from the cup.

"Ah. N…Not yet. I can't bring myself to tell him yet. I can barely deliver paperwork to his office," I said, feeling slightly discouraged. I stared at my reflection in the tea.

"You should drink it soon; it will get cold otherwise," he said, drinking his own. I took a sip, lifting up the teapot and pouring him some more. I put it back down, sitting down as well. I stared at the tea for a bit longer. I knew what he meant. He meant, 'Don't let your kindness sap from it.'

I sighed. "I know. It's just that…it's so hard to face him. I'll get to it…eventually." I hesitated on asking. _Disappointment…?_

"Sooner than later, I hope. About your request…" he started. I rapped to attention. "It was approved…demo are you sure you want to do this? I mean, if you want, you can become another taicho or fukutaicho easily." He said this last line, somewhat hastily. I nodded.

"I've thought long and hard about this. I'm sure that…it will all work out. All the rules and conditions of this team were thought of long and hard. I…can always find a job as a sensei if it doesn't work out so…don't worry, Yamamoto-soutaicho …I'll be fine. Demo…

"Gomennasai. I must be making you kind of sad. This isn't the end though. I'll visit as often as possible. I'll watch out, because wherever I go, I've got somewhere to return to…ne? I'm sure that everything will work out. If it doesn't, I can always use Hikari-chan's way," I told him, my voice rising and lowering. I looked up at him, trying not to burst into tears.

"Hikari-san's way? What, might I ask, would that be?" he asked. I smiled, my eyes drying a bit. I looked up at him.

"That would be to quote, 'Make everything right alone while kicking butt, influencing minds, and changing hearts. If that doesn't work, then focus on the light and know that next time you'll get it right.' That would be Hikari-chan's way," I told him. He gave a chuckle, the deep, throaty sound reminding me of Hokage-sama. _Ah! That reminds me. I have yet to meet anyone that had perished from the elemental subdivision, which was what the Shinigami called it._ I don't recall saying it aloud, but Yamamoto-soutaicho-san answered me.

"Out of the five worlds, h311, soul society, the elemental subdivision, the human world, and hueco mundo, only two worlds are filled with souls, the elemental subdivision and the human world. It is more rare for souls to come from the elemental subdivision than the human world. You must understand that most of those in your world have been fighting most of their lives as well. I am sure that they would not like to jump from one fight to another. Though we cannot force them to enroll, they are usually the most successful as Shinigami, what with their battle experience," he explained to me. "I do know the houses of several of them. Would you like a map?" I looked up at him.

"W-Would you please? I wish to talk to someone who comes from where I come from, who can talk to me about things. Please?" I asked. He looked at me before pulling out a map of the Rukongai. He circled several houses, handing it to me.

"They might have moved, but this is the best I can do for now. Good luck," he told me. I smiled. I hugged him, walking around the table.

"Arigato gozaimasu!" I told him. He chuckled again.

"Don't worry about it," he told me. "Now, go visit them now. I'll have someone drop off the paperwork in your room later. Now, off with you." I thanked him again, leaving the room quickly. _I wonder who I would meet…

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**Sorry I didn't update in so long! I hope you guys forgive me! In return, I made this a long chapter! It was around 19 and a quarter pages. Let's see…Thanks to all of the subscribers as well as favorites! **

**Special thanks to: Moghedian (for helping me with some grammar and Japanese) and several websites: translate DOT google DOT com and bleach DOT wikia DOT com.**

**Special special reviews from: Kira Acumichi, diff-r-ent-1, silverskywolf2272, snow246, 1nn0c3nc3-kun, wisdom-jewel, XxWishDreamerXx, Soraya the All Speaker, animechick199, sasuhinafan121, loosing-faith-in-faith-itself, TanithLipsky, mini wolf, Yellowflash85, Tsukihime Nee, candinaru25, BK-Black Knight, SheWithNoName, purpleshine, and fergie20. All your reviews are greatly appreciated. All your suggestions will be considered, well, considering that I frankly suck at changing. Every review is held close to my heart. Hope to hear from all of you, and more. =)**


	14. Meetings and Schedule

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I hope that none of you got tired of this story! I realized in chapter 11 that I didn't put how Renji was healed, so I'm going to say that she healed him before Byakuya. If someone wants me to, I'll add it. (It's only a sentence and it's boring though…)

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~Unknown **(As Of Yet)** Person's PoV~

I took a sip of my tea, enjoying the smooth taste. I sat in front of the small, wooden window of my home, wary of those that would try and steal from my home. It consisted of two small bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and small room by the door. In the back was a small garden that mainly grew some fruit trees. The two bedrooms each held a rolled-up futon, a table, and wardrobe. The table that held scrolls, piled high, as well as some open identified one room. A small candle, inkwell, and brush were placed nearby. The other held several books, one of which was opened up. The kitchen was basically a stove, a small icebox, and a small fountain/sink. The bathroom had only the necessities and the small room held a table by the window that I sat at. **(The window is at the height when you sit down on the floor.)** The house was somewhat small, but comfortable.

I lived in the South Rukongai in District 55. It wasn't as bad as District 80, but it was definitely worse than the First District. My Otouto **(little brother)** came in, glancing at my expression. He smiled, about to say something; a joke, I presumed. He had white, shaggy hair and red eyes as well as three red marks: on his cheeks and chin. He wore a light blue kimono with a yellow sash.

"Nani? **(What?)** You can never be too careful around here. Remember the last time?" I cut him off, not taking my eyes off the street. He rolled his eyes.

"Even so, Onii-san **(older brother)** I find your caution a little unnerving. You can relax a little. How about we both just watch out? After all, who would be able to sneak up on two Hokage **(Fire Shadow)** while they are both in the house and wide awake?" he asked, clasping me on my shoulder. He jostled my tea, spilling some of it onto my brown kimono with a red sash. I drank the rest of my tea before he could spill it and set it down. I thought, closing my brown eyes for a moment.

"Otouto-san, I suppose you are right. I shall be in my room," I told him, getting up, my long, black hair swaying a bit. He nodded, sitting down. At that second, there was a surprising knock on the door. I looked at him. He shook his head. He didn't know who it was either.

We both approached the door cautiously. I opened it, finding a man about to swing a wooden club down at me. I held out a hand to catch the club, finding it to be a simple, weak weapon. I pulled back my fist to strike, only to find a dark figure dropkick him down, leaving a somewhat crushed doorstep.

I observed the person once the dust settled down. She had dark, indigo hair to mid-back and bangs around her face. Her eyes were a pearl color with a slight touch of lavender, identifying her as a Hyuga. She wasn't all that tall and had a petite build. She wore a black, standard Shinigami uniform and had two swords—zanpakuto—crossed on her back. On her right wrist was a bracelet that wound around her wrist twice full of flower charms. She turned to us, her eyes widening.

"Konnichiwa, Senju-Shoudai **(First)** Hokage-san. Konnichiwa, Senju-Nidaime **(Second)** Hokage-san," she said, sounding slightly panicked and bowing lowly. Otouto-san and I glanced at each other before looking back at the strange girl from our world that had heard of us. I couldn't help but wonder how Konoha was fairing. We hadn't seen any other Hokage so we weren't sure what was going on. This might be our chance to hear how Konoha was fairing.

~Hinata's PoV~

_I was standing in front of them! Senju-Shoudai Hokage-san and Senju-Nidaime Hokage-san! I just broke their front step too! What do I do?_ I couldn't bring myself to look up.

I heard one of them laughing and I hesitantly brought my head up to look at them.

"I hope that our doorstep doesn't stay like that," Senju-Nidaime Hokage-san joked. Senju-Shoudai Hokage-san looked at me, smiling. He held a hand out to me.

"Don't worry about the doorstep. Why don't you come in? We would love to hear about how Konoha is doing," he said. I hesitantly laid my fingers on his palm. His hand was large and smooth, but unlike Hitsugaya-taicho-san's; it reminded me of an Otou-san's hands or maybe an Oji-san's. In a way, it reminded me of Yamamoto-soutaicho. He gripped my fingers gently and led me inside, seating me at one side of a small table, Senju-Shoudai Hokage-san sitting to the left of me. Senju-Nidaime Hokage-san sat in front of me, pulling out several teacups and pouring some green tea for all of us. A window to my right showed me several kids out on the streets as well as adults milling around. I was somewhat nervous to look up so I held the teacup in my hand, staring at it. I looked hesitantly at them, taking in that I was sitting and having tea with two of the strongest ninja ever.

"So, you have heard of us, I see. We don't know much about you, however. Would you please tell us about Konoha now?" Senju-Shoudai Hokage-san requested coolly. I tried to stay calm.

"Ano…hai. My name is Hinata Hyuga. From when I died, my father was the current head of the Hyuga clan. My younger stepsister is Hanabi Hyuga. Ano…What would you like to hear about first?" I asked of them. I was so nervous!

"How about the Kage. What happened to the Third?" Senju-Nidaime Hokage-san suggested automatically.

I explained it to them all the way to the point of where I had died. We talked for hours about what had happened in Konoha. We reached the topic about the clans and about Orochimaru as well as other threats. I told them about the Akatsuki rumors that had been spreading, about the organization that was said to be collecting Bijuu **(Tailed Beasts)** for some reason. We talked about problems going around the land and other topics. It felt nice talking about things that were back at Konoha and have them understand you. Paperwork was a funny topic. When I mentioned the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu **(Shadow Clone Jutsu)** they smacked their foreheads murmuring about how they should have used it. They were impressed at what I had achieved.

They circled several more places on the map and asked me if they could somehow use jutsu once again as well. I gave them a maybe, discussing it silently with my zanpakuto.

Time passed. I became less shy and with some persuasion, I now called them Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama. The sun began to set. I stood up, realizing the time. I would have to stay up later to finish paperwork…

"Sumimasen! I must be going! Arigato gozaimasu!" I bowed, heading towards the door.

They both waved to me.

"Visit again please. I am sure my wife would love to meet you," Hashirama-sama said.

"Come again. I'm sure that we'll _all_ love to see you," Tobirama-sama insisted. I nodded, smiling. I waved, taking off after. I arrived at the barracks, finding piles of paperwork on the table once again, more so than usual. I sighed. _Well I had been dawdling. 9: 16 PM…Nothing like the present!_ With that thought, I got to work with one other shadow clone. Time passed.

9: 34 PM…Not even one-quarter done…

10: 02 PM…I dispelled the clone.

10: 47 PM…Halfway done…

11: 28 PM…Nearly three-quarters done…

12: 49 AM…Just a few more stacks…

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

I knocked in the Kuchiki home in search of Hyuga. I encountered him along the way.

"Kuchiki," I called out to him. He turned to me, raising an eyebrow. "Have you seen Hyuga? Yamamoto-soutaicho wants to see her." He shook his head.

"Iie. She has not returned to her room since yesterday morning. I suggest the Squad 13 barracks. If not, check with Ukitake-taicho," he advised. I nodded my thanks and advanced towards the barracks. I knocked on the door twice, waiting a moment or two. Afterwards, I opened the door quietly, looking around. The desk was spotless, empty of paperwork, unlike my desk, which always seemed to carry piles of it, mostly because of Matsumoto. I walked towards the desk and swiveled the chair towards me, finding it empty. I looked across the room, not seeing her.

I stepped away from the desk, walking towards the table in the middle of the room. I stood in front of it, finding her. In one of the two couches surrounding the table, she was curled up. Her hair was splayed on the couch. Her eyelashes were long, angel-like almost. Her arms were curled around her, childishly. Her legs were bent towards her chest, as if hiding from imaginary troubles. Her breaths were soft and even, steady. It created a surreal sort of beat, a mystical sort of spell. Slowly, my hand reached out to her before contacting her shoulder. I shook her gently.

"Wake up," I called out to her. Her eyes shot open, accompanied by scrambling, which somehow ended up with her falling off the couch. Of course, my reaction was to catch her. I held her close to me, our faces a few inches away from each other. Within a few seconds, her face reached a bright red. She scrambled, blubbering something, and fell out of my arms.

"Itai. **(Ouch.)** Ah! Gomennasai Hitsugaya-taicho-san!" she said, standing up and bowing.

"Why do you do that?" I couldn't help but ask. She straightened up and tilted her head in a questioning matter.

"Ano…**(Um…)** Nani? **(What?) **Do what?" she asked, a finger on her lip. _Kawaii…Snap out of it! What am I thinking?_

"Why do you call me 'taicho-san'? Why don't you just leave it at 'taicho'?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow, keeping the small blush from rising to my face. She blushed slightly, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

"Ano…Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure. It might be a bad habit though. I think that if anything, it's like a measure," she explained as best as she could.

"A measure?" I asked; an eyebrow rose. Her blush magnified.

"Ano…What was it you were looking for?" she diverted. I wouldn't forget this conversation and she knew it too.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho needs to talk to you. He said something about your position…?" I let my sentence hang, letting the words register for her. Within seconds, she was out of the office, the door swinging open gently for someone in a rush. I started walking towards his office. For some reason, he asked me to come after her.

~Hinata's PoV~

I rushed to my room, changing clothes, brushing my teeth, and leaving once again under a few minutes. I could distantly hear Kuchiki-chan mumbling something about needing to relax and the surprised gasps of people I passed. I made it to Yamamoto-soutaicho's quarters five minutes after Hitsugaya-taicho-san's message. I straightened myself out a bit before knocking.

"Come in," his voice floated through the air like ash from a fire. I came in bowing.

"Ano…Hitsugaya-taicho-san told me that you wanted to see me. He said something about my position…?" I drifted off, unsure of how to word my next question. I sat down in front of him. Tea was already poured and there were cookies in front of us. I took a sip and knew that, if anyone, he understood my inner turmoil.

"Hai. I would like for you to work in Squad 10." His command threw me off. I held my cup in front of me, staring at it endlessly as though all of my answers would appear from it.

"A-Ano…Nani?" I questioned loudly (for me). I looked up at him. _That was the squad that Hitsugaya-taicho-san…_I resisted the urge to faint, feeling that same feverish feeling climb up my cheeks.

"Your work lately has been lacking. I am sure that you have noticed as well." _No doubt about it…_ "If you spend more time with him, it would be easier to talk to him I assume." _Assume._ "Once you are able to communicate with him regularly, I will give you a position in Squad 5 as well." _That's with…!_ "You need to solve this, Hinata." He looked at me, his eyes sending me the main message: I'm worried about you. "I believe in you. You will start off by taking care of Matsumoto's paperwork. On more than one occasion I have caught her leaving Hitsugaya by himself. He will promote and demote you accordingly. Take in mind that he doesn't know why you are there except for work. In Squad 5, I would like for you to be Aizen's assistant as well as Hinamori's. I am sure you will do well." It was silent for a few minutes as I digested the information before a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in," Yamamoto-soutaicho called out. The door swung open.

"You wanted to see me, Yamamoto-soutaicho?" _his_ voice rang out. I turned around, a blush painting my face. I bowed to Yamamoto-soutaicho, leaving.

"I-I'll be outside. Please call me after," I murmured to Hitsugaya-taicho-san, closing the door behind me. His face showed slight confusion and as much as I didn't want to think so, it was kawaii. I could hear Iyashi no Hikari and Yogan no Udewa snicker in my head. **(I know before that I said that I would leave out the "no" and make it one word, but I saw Rukia's zanpakuto like that so I thought why not.)** It was no secret that I didn't have the best of luck. Most people found that out soon after they met me. I sighed, calming the blush out from my cheeks. I walked to the corner of the hall, slumping against the wall.

My back was against the wall with my knees drawn up to my chest. I looked around the garden, before closing my eyes and tilting my head back until it met the wall. I listened to the sounds around me, ignoring the muffled conversation a few yards away from me. Time seemed to speed up as I enjoyed the peace. Too soon, his footsteps exited the room, coming towards me. I opened my eyes and met his. He leaned on the wall beside me. He leaned his back against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. We simply stayed like that for a while. We looked out in the garden. The silence between us was calming broken only by the chirping birds and splashing of fish in the pond.

After a while, he pushed himself off, holding a hand out to me. Hesitantly, I took a hold of it, enjoying the warm and at the same time refreshing feeling I found myself feeling. He pulled me up lightly, walking away. I followed like I knew he would want me to. Together, we walked to the Squad 10 barracks, entering the office in silence.

"So…?" I started off awkwardly.

"So," he said more firmly. A moment of silence passed. _This is so awkward!_

"Let's work on this paperwork. I'm sure that it won't do itself," I said as cheerfully as I could manage. I sugarcoated my voice to seem more enthusiastic while I was actually suffocating in the tense atmosphere.

He nodded and we went straight to work. We both took a seat at his desk, sifting through the tall piles. Within an hour and a half we were done. I put my pen down, standing up. I stretched my arms up, satisfied to hear a _Crack!_ coming from my shoulders.

"We're done!" I squealed, holding my fists beneath my face. **(For those of you who don't know, it's like when Sakura is squealing over Sasuke.)**

"We still have to turn in everything," he reminded me in his monotone voice. Despite the monotone tone he used, I could hear the satisfaction as well as the disappointment. I turned to him.

"Demo we finished the hard part!" I shouted at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? We have to walk all over the Seireitei to deliver these now," he pointed out. I nodded, winking.

"Let me take care of it!" I exclaimed, raising my hand as if I was in class. He looked at me dubiously, but nodded.

"I'll see you later. By the way, who's taking care of Squad 13?" he asked. I thought.

"I don't know!" I answered honestly. "I'll visit and help out. Ja ne, Hitsugaya-taicho-san." I grabbed a stack and delivered them all one by one. Afterwards, I used shunpo, arriving at the 13th division barracks soon after. For another hour, I did paperwork with another clone, silently wondering if everyone would want me to be a lieutenant so that they wouldn't have to do any paperwork. Afterwards, I checked the map, heading towards the next person from the elemental continents.

It was West Rukongai, District 23 that I found him. It was hard to believe he was here. _He was right there! What should I do? What can I do? What could I do?_

He spotted me, his eyes widening. With that, I took off, running towards the gate once again. There was only so much you could do with so many people milling around though and he wasn't a jounin for nothing. He caught me by the forearm soon after. Silently, I followed him, his hand leading me by the shoulder. He brought me into his home, brushing away my silent tears. I had not even known that they had fallen. He questioned me about what had been going on in Konoha. He asked about Neji-niisan and about news. He asked me concerning the Hyugas. I answered him truthfully, telling him that even though everyone thought that I was their last hope, that there would be others who would definitely fix the Hyuga after me. He couldn't help but shed a few tears of his own finding out about how Neji-niisan nearly killed me. I forgave him for leaving Neji-niisan alone and he forgave me for dying. I, personally, thought that there was nothing to forgive him for, however. For hours we talked, about Konoha and about what was going on with us now. As the sunset painted the sky, I bade him farewell, stopping by Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama for dinner, like they asked. They were both glad to see me, and so was Mito Uzumaki who was Hashirama-sama's wife. They were all so kind…

My schedule was like that for a while. I would get ready and eat breakfast. I would do paperwork for the 10th division and Hitsugaya-taicho and I eventually became a closer. I would then do as much paperwork as possible until lunch then visit people. I met Nawaki Senju, Tsunade-sama's sibling, and Dan, Shizune-san's uncle, in North Rukongai, District 42. I also met Hayate Gekko, the proctor for the Chuning exams, in West Rukongai, District 37.

I would eat dinner with them or in the Seireitei and then would talk with Rukia-san for a while before going to sleep. The schedule was a constant, simple. It was nice, simple, but nice.

It was like that. For a while anyways.

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**Hope to hear people's ideas later. **


	15. Past, Battle, and Panic

**I don't own Naruto or Bleach. Hope you enjoy.**

**(Minor) Changes have been made in chapters: 11 and 13 about positions. Hinamori Momo and Abarai Renji are seated officers of Squad 5, not fukutaicho. That's because this is taking place before Rukia's journey to Karakura Town and Renji became a fukutaicho during that. I hope no one is totally confused. I'm trying to make sense of it too. **

**I read somewhere that when they first graduated, all three, Renji, Momo, and Kira, were in Squad 5 and Gin used to be Aizen's fukutaicho. Then, Kira went into Squad 4 before becoming Squad 3's fukutaicho and Renji went into Squad 11 for a while before becoming Squad 6's fukutaicho; during that time, Momo stayed in Squad 5, trying to be useful to Aizen. If I'm wrong, sorry.

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**

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

There had been something on my mind for a while about Hinata-san. I had started calling her that a while ago. She had smiled, saying, "I'm glad we're getting closer, Hitsugaya-taicho." She had started calling me Hitsugaya-taicho instead of Hitsugaya-taicho-san afterwards. I finally got her to explain why she added "-san" and apparently it was like a measure of how close she was to someone. The "-san" showed the most formal way, and by calling someone by his or her full title. Without the "-san" it was showing a slightly more close person. Soon after, she would call them by their first name and "-san" and change to "-chan" or "-kun" showing informality, and more closeness. Perhaps she would give them a nickname too. So she would say, anyways. Proof was with Zaraki and Kusajishi as well as others. She said it depended though.

Around the third month since we first met, I approached her after paperwork, asking her about "Shinsetsu-chan and the Kisetsu siblings" awkwardly. I was sure that the tense atmosphere was not just from myself. We sat in the couches in the 10th division office. Her stutter came back full-force as she explained what had happened that night.

"I-I-I-I-I wa-was so look-looking f-f-forward to i-it. D-D-Demo…Ki-Kisetsu-chan a-and K-Kisetsu-k-kun ca-came w-with s-some of the-their f-friends. Ki-Kisetsu-chan di-didn't recognize m-me. Wh-when she asked K-Kisetsu-kun, he-he didn't e-even l-look at m-me be-before say-saying h-he didn't c-care. I-I tried visi-visiting a-again after a while. D-D-Demo. Th-The tree and-and." She broke off of her sentence and broke out in tears, trying her best to stop the endless flow of tears from her eyes. She wiped her eyes with her hands, sniffling a bit. She talked as though I wasn't there. I pulled her hands away from her face, touching her forehead against mine. She turned pink, her tears stopping slightly. I wiped them away with the back of my hand, being careful to not be too hard.

"Y'know, Kisetsu-chan was…I don't really know how to put this…Well, she had too much to drink. Some guy spiked her drink or something. I'm not really sure about the details. I just know that she wasn't herself when I went to pick her up. Her friends, Abarai, you've met him, and Izuru, he's also part of Squad 5 with Hinamori and Abarai, were coming with us to make sure she had a safe trip home. She ran into several trees, poles, and signs. She thought that they were all people and when she bumped into people she thought she had bumped into a sign. So, don't take it into offense or anything; at least she recognized you were a human at all. When she asked me, I was thinking about something. I didn't want to be bugged so I wasn't really paying attention. When you bumped into me…I thought it sort of looked like you. Demo…I hadn't seen you cry in ages, when we first met. So…I totally blew it off until we got home. Baa-chan didn't scold us, y'know? That's what made it worse. She just gave us this disappointed look and put your bag in a cabinet, waiting for you to come and pick it up. After a while, we all kind of gave up hope. We visited the alley you used to come from and when we put our hand there, it was like touching a wall. It was like you just blocked us out. Both of us…" I trailed off.

I felt her wipe away tears I didn't know I had.

"I'm crying…?" I questioned. She wiped away my tears easily, patiently. Hours seemed to pass, though it was only minutes, before Matsumoto jumped in, slamming the door. Hinata-san and I split from each other in record time, sitting at opposite ends of the couch. I pretended to be scanning some papers while she grabbed a nearby book, calming her breathing to the point that it seemed that she had been doing that the whole time despite the small blush on her face.

"Taicho!~" Matsumoto squealed. I turned to her.

"Nani?" I asked her in my monotone voice.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho was calling Hina-chan!~ It wasn't urgent though, so he said to take your time," she conveyed. I nodded, dismissing Hinata-san. She got up, closing the book and setting it on the table.

~Hinata's PoV~

"I trust that things have gotten better?" he first asked when I came in. I nodded, enjoying the warmth of the teacup in my hands.

"Hai. It will take a while, demo I think that we can all get along once again," I hypothesized.

"Very good. Now, I know you are getting bogged down with paperwork lately, especially those that you needn't do. From now on, you no longer need to do the paperwork for the 13th and 10th division. The taicho will take care of it. I know we planned on letting you assist the 5th division with Hinamori, a seated officer, and Aizen-taicho, but I am sure with Gin-fukutaicho that they can wait. For the rest of today, you can go around the Shinigami Academy and pick out students. I do hope you know what you are doing. Be careful," he warned. I smiled.

"Arigato, Yamamoto-soutaicho," I thanked. He nodded and so, I left for the Academy. There, I found many people milling around, all heading towards the main hall. _No way. He didn't._

I walked there, a sensei asking if I was the "Hinata Hyuga who was here to show everyone some moves as well as pick those who would be part of a new squad." _He did. Great._ I walked to the steps of the stage, students still milling in. I tried to pick out anyone who came from the elemental continents. As I found out, people from the elemental continents had a vibe. No one else seemed to notice except those who were from there, based on the information from Iyashi no Hikari. I closed my eyes. _Ichi…_**(One…)** _Ni…_**(Two…)** _Is that all?_ I scanned one more time to be sure. Ni for sure.

I opened my eyes, finding just about everyone taking a seat. I heard the senseis yelling to be quiet. After there was silence, I walked up onto the stage, waiting a few seconds before deciding I didn't like doing this. _How do I leave an impression? Forget that, how do I start?_

"Ohayo," I began after a few seconds. There were a few replies from the bravest of the students. This is too awkward. I sighed. "Forget it. I'm going to quit being serious and all. I won't beat around the bush. I hate being on stage. In fact, I'm gonna talk to Yamamoto-soutaicho 'bout this later. So, any requests on moves? I want to hurry up and leave," I declared. A hand rose in the middle of the crowd. All eyes were on him. I nodded, making eye contact with the student.

"Can you show us some of the moves the basic holds of Hakudo?" he called out. I nodded.

"Come on up," I commanded, gesturing with my hand.

"Eh? Why do I have to come?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think? I need a partner if I'm going to show all of you," I explained. He got up reluctantly, walking slowly.

"Don't drag your feet, Kurohi-san," I said to him. He glared at me. I was unaffected, used to glares around home and around the Academy. I looked over him critically as he came up. He was around normal height, maybe 5 feet and 3 or 4 inches. He had shaggy blond hair and dirt-brown eyes. He wore the school uniform and I could tell that he was arrogant by his posture. Even so, he was good-looking, in an "I'm-better-than-the-world" kind of way. He came up in front of me.

"Come on. Attack me," I ordered.

"Excuse me?" he said, sounding somewhat offended.

"A-ttack me," I sounded out. "It's more realistic if I show you how to do it in battle. Come on."

"Me? Attack you? I don't think that's a good idea," he said, snorting.

"Don't worry," I smiled coldly. "I'll go easy on you." His eyes narrowed.

"Tch. That's my line," he said, raising both of his hands in a fighting position. "Though I must ask. How do you know my name?" I raised an eyebrow, charging at him.

"You're so forgetful, like always, Kurohi-san. Besides," I trailed off as I absentmindedly blocked his attacks. The crowd was enchanted, I guess you could say, by the way I blew off his attacks.

"How do you know that I'm forgetful? What's the 'besides' for?" he asked, aiming a kick to my side. I blocked, using the momentum to throw my own kick to his side, a gentle one of course. I used his moment of imbalance to get him into a basic hold, his face on the ground as I held both his arms. Any movement would make the strain on his arms harder.

"Here's one," I told the class, my voice projecting out to the room. I shifted the position to where I was sitting on his back as he was facedown and I held down one of his arms and his shoulder. He had little room to move and it was possible to break his arm(s) like this. **(Position Rukia's Chappy Soul Candy held Ichigo in in Episode 117.)** "This is another." I ran through several more positions before letting him go. He stood up, hiding his bruised ego.

"Now…Hoshi-san" I called out.

He raised his hand somewhat awkwardly from the front row. He had black hair that swung in his bright, blue eyes in a non-deterring way. He was close to Kurohi-san's height, maybe a bit taller and wore the school uniform in a relaxed way. He was also good-looking, but in a kinder way.

"Yoru Kurohi. Top of his classes. Tied with Kiyoshi Hoshi. Slightly forgetful. Somewhat cold and quiet. Arrogant and tends to boast," I recited in monotone. His eyes widened, his fists clenching slightly. I looked over at Hoshi-san.

"Kiyoshi Hoshi. Top of his classes with Yoru Kurohi. Somewhat awkward and kind. Competitive when provoked, losing all traces of unconfident feelings, especially with Yoru Kurohi. Open-minded," I stated. I met his eyes, finding surprise painted. I made eye contact with both of them. "Though both are said to be rivals, there are several facts that show that they might be friends as well," I quoted.

They both began saying things that got lost with both of them talking at the same time, Kurohi-san yelling angrily and Hoshi-san slightly quieter, but still loud. I could understand that both were asking how I knew things about them. The crowd also began muttering, making the noise level higher than ever.

I sighed, muttering "Desu," under my breath, waiting. The sensei yelled for the kids to be quiet. I waited a few seconds for the noise to die down before letting my voice project over the crowd.

"Hikari-chan wanted to say 'hi' to everyone, especially Hoshi-san and Kurohi-san. I'm leaving now. I don't even want to be here and I know none of you want to see any moves. All of you just want to leave class," I said as I began walking down from the stage. No sooner was I by the door than Hoshi-san had his hand on my shoulder. He was breathing slightly heavily and had determination in his eye.

"Hyuga-san," he breathed.

"Hyuga? You're Junseiki-chan's weirdo roommate!" Kurohi-san exclaimed, pointing his finger at me.

"Am I really that weird? Scratch that. I can't believe you didn't recognize me, I've only left for a few weeks," I said, mocking hurt. "Anyways, what was it that you needed, Hoshi-san?" I asked of him, turning to face him.

"I am unsure of how rude this may be, but I must ask how Junseiki-chan is doing. None of us know what has happened to her since the attack. In fact, we did not know that you became a Shinigami either," Hoshi-san said cautiously. I could feel the room heating up from my raging reiatsu. Slowly, it was rising, reaching heights I was trying to keep hidden. I took a deep breath, allowing the temperature to cool down. I thought for a moment.

"I'd rather not, but how about I make you a deal," I suggested. Hoshi-san and Kurohi-san looked at me curiously.

"What type of deal?" Kurohi-san asked, somewhat roughly. I smirked.

"Beat me in a spar. Anyone can try and everyone is required to come in the very least. Meet me in the biggest training area in half an hour. I'll see you guys there. Oh, and come at me with killing intent," I said, leaving with shunpo.

I arrived at Rukia-san's and my room, arriving in a flash. I grabbed a lollipop that Ukitake-taicho had also given me, offering her one. I sucked on the grape lollipop as she sucked on the cherry one in silence. The silence was broken a few seconds later.

"So what's been going on?" she asked me. I thought for a moment.

"The usual," I finally said, giving her one of my 'trust-me' smiles. She rolled her eyes, knowing that the 'usual' for me was usually drastic, unusual, and/or totally mad for everyone else. We had gotten really close in the past few weeks. I knew that Kuchiki-taicho adopted her out of the blue and for some reason, never cared for her. I knew that Abarai-san and her haven't talked for years despite being the best of friends. I knew that she missed a lot of things. She knew that I was attacked by someone I considered my brother. She knew that I always planned everything. She knew that I missed so many things.

"Which is…" She left me to finish.

"Oh, I just challenged a whole bunch of Academy students in a spar for some information they wanted. The usual, Rukia-san," I tried saying it as nonchalantly as possible, but Rukia-san still coughed, nearly choking. I knew her well enough now to say that she would be fine and would hate it if I tried to help.

"You!—What?—Trouble!" she blubbered. I waited for her to calm down, taking the time to write on a slip of paper.

I thought for a moment, adding a chibi picture of myself holding up two fingers and winking in the corner. I let the ink dry before folding it, writing _Yamamoto-soutaicho_ on the front. I checked the clock. It was around 20 minutes until the battle.

"Rukia-san," I said, catching her attention and stopping her panic attack. "I'll be out jogging. I'll see you later, 'k?" She nodded, catching her breath, deciding she didn't want any part in my plots, and pulling out a nearby magazine; it was the latest version of Seireitei Communication Monthly, if I was not mistaken. **(The one that Shuhei Hisagi works on and where Rangiku Matsumoto always causes trouble.)** I quickly changed into a white tank top and black mid-thigh running shorts. As she sucked on her lollipop while skimming through a magazine, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, holding a hair band in my mouth.

"Ja ne," I said to Rukia-san while walking out the door. She held up a hand showing me she heard, lollipop still in her mouth. With that, I left. It felt great, running around the Seireitei. I didn't bother counting how many laps I made, knowing that it wouldn't really matter in the end. It's not like anyone else did this. All that mattered was that for those laps, it almost felt like I could run away from the world. All that mattered was that for those laps, I could see Hikari-chan running with me. I took a short break and stopped by Yamamoto-soutaicho's office. Along the way, many men offering to have dinner with me and other offers stalled me. I declined all of them, ignoring the snickering in my head, and handed his secretary the note, telling him there was no hurry on it. I resumed my course soon after.

~***** Hinata's PoV~ **(The word has been hidden due to being a spoiler.)**

I arrived in the biggest training area of the Shinigami Academy, finding most of the students waiting to spar. The ("Smart," I heard both zanpakuto say in unison) students were sitting in the benches nearby. Whispers passed through the crowd as I appeared wearing the standard Shinigami uniform.

"Ohayo!" I called out, smiling as though I was going to a carnival, not battling over 75% of the Shinigami Academy. I stood in front of the crowd and in the very front of the crowd was Kurohi-san and Hoshi-san. I looked over everyone. "I hope everyone is ready!" Whispering intensified. "Because…" I let it trail off; everyone was quiet. "It's about to begin." I couldn't resist smirking the slightest bit. _Stupid egomaniacs around me. Of course they have to influence me. Why can't they be less egoistic?_

"How come you're not wearing weapons?" I heard some one ask.

"That's because I'll be sticking to hakudo and hoho. You guys can use whatever you want. Oh, and I'd suggest that you guys come at me with the intent to kill. Otherwise, you'll never be able to injure me," I answered. I heard whispers rise up once again. I waited until it died down.

"Ready…Set…Go," I said, using shunpo. The students looked around frantically as I casually used shunpo to go around them once.

I weaved through the crowd, appearing behind Kurohi-san and Hoshi-san. I waited a few seconds, giving them time to react, before throwing a punch towards them. They both noticed at the last second, bending backwards. I nicked them slightly, using the opportunity to sweep them off their feet. I stared at the petrified, in awe crowd.

"You guys have strength in numbers. Use it," I commanded, weaving through the crowd. It seemed to snap most of them out of whatever shock they were in, trying to attack me in one form or another. I weaved through the attacks, breaking/bending/twisting arms, legs, wrists, and ankles as I went. Several minutes passed before I looked at all the students.

"Oops. Gomennasai. I guess I got carried away," I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. All students were lying down on the floor or sitting up, nursing their injured limb. The ones in the bleachers had their jaws open; all of them were amazed I supposed. "I better go get help." With that, I used shunpo to catch her as she was jogging.

"Over all ready?" she asked. I nodded. Sweat made a slight sheen on her skin. Definite shower when she goes home.

"And…" I let her finish the sentence, letting my gaze wander elsewhere.

"I need to go over there and fix everyone up," she finished. I nodded again. Together, we jogged over to the training area. She looked over the area. All the students, including the ones on the floor, opened their mouths in unison.

"No way!"

"That's impossible!"

"What?"

"How!"

These were some of the whisperings from the crowd. She looked over them disapprovingly.

"It's a good thing I didn't come myself. I guess no one seemed to notice that my reiatsu was lower than before. This," she gestured to me. "is my clone." I smiled, waving. The person was none other than my actual leader, Hinata. Me? I'm a clone, if you didn't read it before.

"I'm going to leave now," I said. She nodded. I swiftly departed.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

A frown was etched upon her face as she healed everyone, using healing kido over Iyashi no Hikari. I dropped down from the trees as she treated the last few people. I leaned my back on the tree, arms crossed, Hinata-san's back to me.

"Ohayo," she said without turning around.

"Mattaku. **(Geez.) **Did you really have to beat them up so bad?" I asked. She didn't answer, choosing instead to focus on healing all those she injured. "You're doing all the paperwork and handling all the complaints about this stunt," I told her. She nodded.

"Wouldn't expect any less. Besides. Who do you think is going to get yelled at? The person who did it or the person doing paperwork?" Humor lined her tone. I rolled my eyes. I could see the slightest upturn of her lips.

"Hurry up. Yamamoto-soutaicho wants to see you," I conveyed.

"I'm probably going to regret this, but what did you do?" I asked, sighing. I saw amusement paint her face as she nonchalantly answered.

"I just sent a note in advanced."

"I'll be in my office. I'd rather you not try and give people heart attacks," I said, walking over to my office. I could feel the wind pick up the slightest bit as she rushed over to the office. I couldn't help but wonder how she ran so quickly. Must be panic I mused.

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**I had to redo this several times because I didn't like how it was coming out. Anyways, I hope that it wasn't too big of a disappointment. **


	16. Now or Never Time Skip Included

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I hope that my writing hasn't been too hard to follow and that none of you lose interest soon. For those that actually read my author's notes, thanks. It lets me know that it's not in vain. I put some important stuff up here sometimes.**

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~Hinata's PoV~

The hall was plain with few accessories. Right next to me was a door and on the other side of that was the bend in the hallway. In front of me was a table with a few magazines, a few chairs, and a clock. A plant stood by the last chair and a painting could be seen a few yards down. I stood in front of the door, trying to stay calm while Ki-chan and Mo-chan sat in the chairs.

I shifted nervously from one foot to another. I glanced at the clock and let my gaze fall over to my witnesses. I brought my eyes back to the clock, keeping from meeting eye contact. I heard a groan.

"Will you quit being so nervous? You'll be fine Hina-chan!" Ki-chan said, giving me a reassuring hit on my back close to my shoulder. I sat in a crouch rubbing my throbbing shoulder.

"Itai! Ki-chan! That hurts!" I yelled at her, getting up to yell at her.

"There we go! There's the Hyuga Hinata that we all know and love! Not afraid to show her opinion and bruising like a peach!" she said, giving me another hit.

"There we go! There's the Kuchiki Rukia we all know and love! Classy and tomboyish!" I mocked, shoving her a little. Mo-chan and Ki-chan giggled together while I pouted a little. A little ways off, I heard Chiru-chan and Pachi-kun coming.

"Yahoo! Hina-chan! Ken-chan and I made it!" Chiru-chan cried out. I smiled.

"I'm glad Chiru-chan! How many wrong turns this time?" I asked.

"Oops," she said, her finger on her lips. "I forgot to count again. Gomen. Ah! I forgot. Byak-kun and your boyfriend are coming," she said, smiling.

"Urusai!" I yelled at her.

"Come on, Hina-chan. Don't tell me you haven't told anyone yet." The mischievous glint in her eye told me danger; of course, it was a relationship kind of danger. "Why haven't you told anyone about how he's your b~o~y~f~r~i~e~n~d~?"

"Who's your what?" Gaya-san asked casually, walking over with Bya-san.

"Nothing!" I breathed out.

"Oh, don't you know tha-" I effectively shut up Chiru-chan by lunging at her, both of us rolling over Pachi-kun's shoulder. For a while, we play-wrestled, trying to get the other to stop.

"Come on Hina-chan!"

"No way!"

"Demo! Why don't you at least tell him?"

"Not in this lifetime!" _Are you joking?_

"Shouldn't you tell him?"

"No!" _He just thinks of me as friends!_

"Oh, Hitsugaya-kun!~"

"Mo-chan!~" I whined.

"I bet that you didn't know tha-"

I lunged at her too. All three of us rolled around the floor, trying to get the other to shut up.

"Oh, ohayo. Ignore them. They're just arguing about a girl's crush," she said casually as though this was an everyday occurrence. Oh right. It was nowadays. In the midst of it, Pachi-kun grabbed onto my arm, effectively pulling me from the fight.

"Fight me!" Pachi-kun demanded. I groaned. I tried pulling my arm out with no avail.

"I don't have time for this! Ah! It's in three minutes and I look like a mess!" I shrieked, pulling my arm away and darting to the nearest mirror. I heard some sigh as others giggled.

"Urusai!" I yelled. More giggling ensued. I sighed, adding a "Desu," to the end of it to be polite.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

I couldn't help, but be jealous when Kuchiki had replied. Laugh all you want. I'm guilty of being one of the many people who had a crush on her. I'll admit it. Not aloud though.

I couldn't help, but notice how her hair was in a bun held with a chopstick. It was a dark indigo with an icy blue dragon on it. I had made it for her on her birthday with the help of Hyourinmaru. She had worn it everyday since I had gotten it, which was about a little over a month ago.

I couldn't help but notice that all three of them weren't really trying to harm each other. They were just playing around. Even so, Hina-san was winning despite it being 2-on-1.

I couldn't help but notice that her hair was slowly coming apart, letting strands of hair fall into her face. They were slightly more curled from being in a bun all day long.

Zaraki grabbed her arm, demanding a battle. Again. For the 14th time today. I couldn't help but hold back a sigh as she tried in vain to pull her arm away. That is, before she realized she had two minutes to get her hair back together and be presentable. She shrieked, which was a little louder than a normal voice, and pulled away from Zaraki quickly, rushing towards the nearest mirror.

Meanwhile, Zaraki swore to battle her later, taking a seat and grumbling to himself. She stood a little ways off, using the mirror to organize her hair. Giggles and sighs followed her.

"Urusai!" she shouted, sighing when it was to no avail. She messed with her hair, trying her best to look presentable. As far as I could tell, it wasn't coming out well enough for her standards.

"Ah! What do I do?" she fussed.

"Here. I'll help," Hinamori said, jogging over. She whispered with Hina-san for a minute before taking it out and pulling it back into a bun in a second. It had a bit more flair in it because of it being in a bun for so long, making it seem classier for some reason. Seeing that made me want to see her hair untied more often. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten her that. The door opened.

"Hyuga-san. It is time," the person said. She quits fussing with her hair, choosing instead to zoom past the person.

"Arigato Hoshi-san," she mutters as she passes by quickly.

All of us look at each other before following, taking our appropriate seats, organized by status and squad. She stands in the middle of the stadium in front of Yamamoto-soutaicho and the rest of the taicho and fukutaicho. The stadium is round and large, made of a sturdy material. There are three entrances to the center, not counting the railings off of which you could jump. Carved into the wall was a small open space to which other contestants would be able to watch the battle, if there were any other contestants, that is. The building seated many, 200 at the very least and around 2000 at the most. I was unsure of how many it could actually seat though. It was the first time I had been there. All I was sure of was that all seats were taken and others were choosing to stand in the back and sit/stand on the roof.

This battle was legendary. People had been talking about it for weeks. The brave, caring girl was shooting to be a captain and, of course, being no ordinary person, she shoots to make her own squad as well. This was definitely going into history books.

~Hinata's PoV~

I entered, taking in the large crowd, silently swallowing my fears. _This was what I've been waiting for! I can't blow it!_ A lot of things had happened since the day I injured most of the Academy. Kira-kun was going to transfer to the 4th division for a while and Renji-kun had recently been transferred to the 11th division. Last I heard, he was going to look for someone to help him train. He and Ki-chan had also not met yet. I planned on changing that. Mo-chan was steadily moving up the ranks while Ki-chan was helping me do all the paperwork for the 13th division so I could fill out applications and things to that effect. Uki-taicho, Gaya-san, as well as other taicho(s) had also helped nominate me for this position. They were all up there, watching me. All of my friends too. I could hear Ki-chan, Mo-chan, Kira-kun, Renji-kun, and tons of others cheering. I couldn't let them down.

"Hyuga Hinata," Yamamoto-soutaicho called out seriously. The crowd's cries quieted down quickly.

"Hai," I called out, my voice clear.

"You are here to take a position of taicho for a new division. Am I correct?" he verified.

"Hai," I said, keeping myself from overreacting from the pressure.

"Since this has not happened ever, permission was granted from the king and Central 46 under the condition that you pass all three taicho exams," he explained. I nodded.

"13th division Ukitake Jushiro, 11th division Zaraki Kenpachi, 10th division Hitsugaya Toshiro, 8th division Kyoraku Shunsui, 6th division Kuchiki Byakuya, 4th division Unohana Retsu, 2nd division Soifon, and 1st division Yamamoto Genryusai S. have all recommended you as worthy of the rank," he said in a loud voice, letting the words resonate over the whole stadium. With every person, my shoulders became a bit lighter. _All of them believed in me._ My hands clenched. _I wouldn't let them down._

"Now, Hinata-san, since there is no previous taicho, it is seen fit to spar," he paused. He glanced wildly around the entire stadium while my hands unfolded. "The person(s) chosen to fight was a minimum three taicho of your choice." I looked at all of them. "Following that will be another battle of my choice."

_Were they serious? They were going to ask a rookie—perhaps future taicho—like me to verse three of them? Then I'll have to verse another! _ My heart suddenly felt so heavy. _How was I going to do this? I promised myself that I would always hold back a little. What was I going to do?_ I thought back to the recommendations. They all believed in me. I couldn't let them down. My fists clenched together. I had to do this.

"I, Hyuga Hinata, would like to verse 11th division Zaraki Kenpachi, 8th division Kyoraku Shunsui, 4th division Unohana Retsu, and 2nd division Soifon to open the position of taicho for a new squad," I said, grabbing hold of all the confidence I had. It was now or never.

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**Uwa! So dramatic! I hope that all of you look forward to the next few chapters. Of course, things will be very…uh…fill-in-the-blank. Anyways, hope to hear from my readers!**


	17. Versing and Attacking

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Otherwise, my stories would be on TV and I wouldn't be writing on fanfiction. Oh, and Hinata would be the main star!

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~Hitsugaya's PoV~

Her voice rang out clear as she asked to verse four taicho: a battle-crazy one, a dual blade one, a medic, and a well-rounded one. Yamamoto-soutaicho coughed a bit, gaining the attention of the whispering crowd.

"As much as I would like to approve, I have to take Unohana-taicho out. She is the one who is going to heal the loser's wounds and I would rather not have soldiers unfit to fight. How about I replace her with Ichimaru-fukutaicho? You already chose three taicho anyways," he suggested. She nodded stiffly. She was nervous, but determined. Zaraki, Kyoraku, Ichimaru, and Soifon all jumped down and stood in front of her. She looked over all of them, reaching for Iyashi no Hikari with her left hand while grabbing Yogan no Udewa with her right.

"Now, Hinata-san. I hope you are sure about this. Now…" The silence was only for a few seconds but seemed longer. _What if she was biting off more than she could chew?_ That thought alone left me feeling chilly despite the warm, sunny weather outside.

~Hinata's PoV~

I nodded, trying to place the feeling. It was so weird. At first, I had passed it off as nerves, but now I'm sure it's not. This can't just be from my nerves. Something is going on.

This cold shudder that's running through my whole body; where is it coming from? I ran my eyes over all my opponents. It's like there are three people, one holding me by the neck, one drawing a blade to my heart, and another attaching strings all over me, like a puppet. Him. Ichimaru Gin. He's the one drawing a blade to me heart, but it seems more…forced than the others. The other two are up there, in the stands, near all the other taicho. It's faint though. Something bad is going to happen. Three people are going to do something terrible, and the worst part is I'm sure that it will succeed. It won't be for a while yet. I have to do something, but what? For now, I've got to win. Then, I can sort this out. For now, I can't be distracted. I have to not reveal all of my best techniques. I have to hide them. Just in case.

"Begin!" Yamamoto-soutaicho shouted. Without a single moment's hesitation, Pachi-kun charged.

As Maru-kun would sometimes say, "Mendosuke. **(Troublesome/What a drag. I forgot which.)**"

"Mendosuke? Say what you want, Hina-chan. Either way, it won't stop from battling you!" Pachi-kun shouted at me, attacking me with an onslaught of sword slashes. From behind, Shunsui-taicho and Tosen-taicho-san both appeared. As they charged, I jumped over Pachi-kun, avoiding his blade with a midair twist. I somersaulted before landing on my feet on a crouch, narrowly dodging an uppercut from Soifon-taicho. I sheathed Yogan no Udewa before holding Iyashi no Hikari out in front of me, letting my reiatsu flow through. The bracelet Hikari-chan gave me jingled. I could do this. She believed in me.

"Migaki fusho kage ni, **(Shine upon the injured shadows,)** Iyashi no Hikari," I whispered to the wind. Iyashi no Hikari's blade straightened more as the indigo cloth became a pattern of alternate white and black as the diamonds turned an indigo color. On the sides of her blade, near the tsuba, was a star. On the other was a heart. From the bottom jangled a heart on a chain. I straightened my left arm, letting a 90-degree angle form, just in time to block a strike from the left from Ichimaru-fukutaicho-san. I charged reiatsu into my sword. _Let's hope this works._ I clashed my sword away from his while parrying blows from all of the taicho who all decided to onslaught Iyashi no Hikari. I blocked most of them, dodging the others. I stood on edge, charging the reiatsu. _Just a little more!_ I jumped back from all of them, doing one-handed back flips until I was a good distance away.

"Akumu kage! **(Nightmare shadows!)**" I shouted. I pointed Iyashi no Hikari towards them, the sunshine darkening.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

Creatures appeared, sticking to a surface like a real shadow. They moved at a somewhat quick pace, though it was slower than a taicho or fukutaicho. To make up for it, there were many. They came from any direction a shadow was. They crept towards the taicho, all of them unsure of what this was.

"Ikorose, **(Shoot to kill,)** Shinso." Ichimaru tried to stab it to no avail. Through all of this, Hina-san kept her sword pointed at them. Kyoraku and Soifon kept glancing at Hina-san, who was quite the distance away, and realized how she had been pointing her sword at them. They both muttered something quietly to Ichimaru, who tried a different tactic.

"Ikorose, Shinso," he said, the point heading straight for Hina-san.

She dodged quickly, putting away her zanpakuto and grabbing some weapons from her sleeves—kunai she called them. She bit down on the kunai, making signs quickly with her hands. A large dust cloud formed as she finished. Soon, she jumped out of it, holding onto the kunai with her hand, she charged at him. Just as three others came out each charging at a different taicho. One charged towards Zaraki and Kyoraku while the other ran towards Soifon. _Eh?_

As if reading our minds, the last Hina-san jumped up, in front of us.

"Yo!" she said, giving a relaxed army salute with only two fingers.

"What is that?" Ukitake asked. She smiled.

"There's a reason that I want only shinobi and kunoichi in my team. It's because I am able to restore the ability to use jutsu. Jutsu is what we shinobi use. We basically use our energy inside of us to balance and attack or defend. Basically anyways. There is actually a lot more to it. I don't really think it matters how much of our world you can understand. So, for now let's just leave it," she said, jumping onto the railing. She turned back, a deadly glint in her eye.

"Oh and Kurotsuchi-taicho-san. I would like to warn you. If you even _suggest_ experimenting on any of my comrades or any other ninja without my permission, I'll try out some torture techniques I've been dying to try out. Of course it will be on you. I'm a newbie so don't be surprised if it's a lot more painful than it should be. Let me tell you something about torture in our world. I've guarded the Maggots' Nest. I have versed almost all members of the Omnitsukido. I've versed several captains before. They are nothing compared to what I have to face at home and if you dare to ignore my warnings, I can make you suffer for years in a way that make your experiments seem like child's play," she warned. Kurotsuchi froze, blubbering excuses after. She turned back to the battlefield.

"Ah. I must get going. Ja ne!" she said, jumping off the railing. She pulled out a kunai, slicing it downward at Zaraki. He smiled sadistically.

"Come on Hina-chan! You've got to do better than that!" he yelled, parrying her blow and dealing out his own. She matched blows with him for a while. All the other clones were doing the same.

"Jinteki Shakusetsu, **(Sting all enemies to death,)** Suzumebachi." Soifon managed to strike Hina-san once only for her to burst into smoke. She joined in with Kyoraku, who together managed to dispatch the other Hina-san quickly. _Too quickly._ Splitting up, they each got in a blow on the last two as she was focused intently on dodging all attacks. Kyoraku got an elbow to her face while Soifon was able to get several wounds everywhere. _Something's not right._ The one Kyoraku hit was apparently the real one for she did not turn into smoke. She did get a nasty bruise on her face. All the taicho rounded her up to the center. She looked around, looking frustrated.

"Tch. I guess it worked after all," she said, her frown becoming a cold smile. With that, she exploded. Literally. All of them widened their eyes before jumping out of the explosion as best as they could. A kunai pierced through each of their uniforms, startling them. They tried retreating quickly only to get let their backs get acquainted with the floor as numerous kunai and other various weapons pinned them down. Hina-san jumped from out of the smoke, stretching.

"Uwa! That felt great!" she cried out, smiling. The crowd broke out into cheers as Kyoraku sighed.

"Well, I guess there's no question who the winner is," he said, smiling at the sky. Soifon looked away, slightly embarrassed while Zaraki smiled.

"Good battle again kiddo. Now let us up," he ordered in a relaxed sort of way. She looked over nodding. She lifted her hand up into the sky while all weapons peeled away from the taicho, slipping back into her sleeve as though pulled back by invisible strings.

She smiled, waving to everyone she knew, which was basically everyone. She jumped up to us.

"Yatta! **(I got/did it!)** I passed!" she smiled, her eyes shining.

~Hinata's PoV~

His eyes softened while he gave me a soft smile.

"Un. You did," I heard him say quietly. I smiled back. All taicho jumped up too, Zaraki grabbing me around my neck, rubbing my head with his knuckles.

"Ah! Ah! Itai! Pachi-kun! That hurts!" I cried out, laughing at the same time. He only laughed, letting go of me after a few seconds. Ukitake-taicho congratulated me with a lollipop and a pat on the back. Amidst all the happiness, the feeling of foreboding did not leave me and though I couldn't help but be glad of my accomplishment, I also couldn't help but resist the urge to shudder. A familiar cough ceased the loud congratulations.

"Hinata-san. I congratulate you for passing. However. I need not remind you of the next battle, do I?" he asked. I couldn't resist the urge to groan.

"Hai," I answered, coughing a bit. My throat felt irritated and my heartbeat was loud against my throat. He cleared his throat.

"Now, before that, however, I would like you to follow me with two or three taicho of your choice. I would like to see both of your bankai first," he stated, glancing around. "Away from other viewers for now. I give you permission to bring her." With that, he turned to leave. Without hesitation, I chose Uki-taicho and Gaya-san to come. They both came simply, though I could tell that Uki-taicho was going to give me more sweets and Gaya-san was silently pleased. I smiled, snatching up Ki-chan's hand. She couldn't help but yell at me as I darted after Yamamoto-soutaicho quickly while dragging her. As we got to the door to his office, I couldn't help but silently pray for luck. _It_ was acting up.

"So, shall we?" Yamamoto-taicho asked. I nodded, standing in front of all of them. Ki-chan was somewhat excited to see my bankai but also nervous being around all the taicho, her being the only non-taicho, except myself. I took a deep breath, coughing. A pain spread up from my heart and igniting throughout the rest of my body. I bit down hard on my bottom lip to keep from screaming, before the pain became unbearable and my world turned black.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

"Hina-chan!" Kuchiki yelled as Hina-san fell. I caught her by the elbow quickly, letting her weight lean on me. Her breathing was ragged. I could feel her usual calm, welcome warmth rise quickly into a burning inferno. Her skin turned paler and the healthy tone in her face was lost. Kuchiki walked over, taking her weight off of mine, an arm around her shoulder. She pulled her away, my hand lingering on her elbow, not forgetting the feverish feel of her skin. Kuchiki laid Hina-san down on the floor in a corner. Ukitake walked over, somewhat quickly as to not agitate his illness, sitting beside her and lying the back of his hand on her forehead. His eyes scanned her carefully.

"Rukia, we need iced water. This attack might be the worst yet," he told her, his lips set in a frown. She nodded, hurrying off. Yamamoto-taicho kneeled down beside her as well with a little bit of difficulty. I sat beside him, a question on the tip of my tongue. Kuchiki came back, a bowl of water in her hands and a quilt in her arms. She sat by Ukitake, wetting the cloth in the cold water. She dabbed it on her brow and on her lips, moving to her neck. She dabbed it there for a second before leaving it on her forehead, wetting another cloth. She covered her with the quilt as Ukitake handed her the cloth. He adverted his eyes for a moment while she left the cloth somewhere I assume I should not ask. She pulled the quilt back down before he turned his eyes again. I coughed slightly.

"What's going on?" I asked. Kuchiki shifted her eyes to her taicho and to Yamamoto-soutaicho before answering.

"Ano…It's normal…for this to happen. It's so normal that…it scares me," she finished silently, her head bowed. I lifted an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Ukitake looked at me.

"I'm not really sure of the details. Rukia here knows, but she told me she promised and I'm sure Hina-chan wouldn't like it if she told. All I know is that it's been happening ever since she got here," he said, his eyes burrowing into mine before glancing over to her. Yamamoto-soutaicho coughed.

"I was afraid that she wouldn't tell both of you," he said, his gravely voice seeming to resonate.

"What…do you mean?" I asked.

"These attacks begin from a scar she received dying, which somehow transferred over to the afterlife. They are strengthened by the injury on her heart, which also was from her life when she was alive. The cause is unknown. The cure for now is unknown and these attacks have been happening once a month on random days," he explained. "Only Unohana-taicho, all three of you, and I know of this. She reports to Unohana-taicho regularly about attacks. Lately, the attacks have been getting stronger and closer together. Though she usually knows when she is about to have it, it is imperative that at least one of us five stay close to her just in case," he ordered. Her ragged breaths were calmer now though she was still sweating. Unohana came in, her zanpakuto hanging on her shoulder like usual.

"Oh my. I figure this was what was going on," she said with a slight frown. "I dismissed the crowd, telling them that the rest of the tournament would be postponed. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Yamamoto-soutaicho said. "Is there anything we should do?" She thought for a few seconds.

"I need to give her a check-up. She has been refusing to come to my office for quite some time now. Rukia, would you mind?" she asked. She shook her head.

"Not at all ma'am," she answered, lifting the quilt and quickly doing things that I was unsure of. She took both cloths, leaving them in the bucket before starting to pull Hina-san up and onto her back. She hadn't grown all that much since she first came a year ago. She probably hadn't grown at all actually so Kuchiki easily swung Hina-san onto her back. We all stood up, ready to see Hina-san to her hospital check-up.

~Rukia's PoV~

The cloths were warm. I contained a grimace. _Dang it Hina-chan! You shouldn't just hide it. You should just let everyone know! What's wrong if people worry about you for a while?_ I swung her up on my back and the four taicho, Hina-chan, and I went over to the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho, dropping her off at the same room where she had stayed before. I paced outside of her room, wondering if I should tell. I promised her…demo…she was getting so hurt.

"Why don't you just tell so I don't have to be put under so much pressure?" I wondered aloud, completely ignoring the weird looks I was getting. I stopped pacing when the door opened. Unohana-taicho came out.

"Unohana-taicho! How is Hina-chan?" I asked desperately. "I mean. Her attacks are getting worse. Is she ok?" I said, trying to word my worry. She waved her hand dismissively.

"Why don't you go in and check up on her? She's fine. Turns out she's had pneumonia for a few weeks now. She skipped all the check-ups to avoid me finding out. Her attack had just come at the wrong time. She'll be fine with some rest. Why don't you and Hitsugaya-taicho come in? One at a time is better," she suggested. The two of us nodded before he allowed me to enter.

"I need to talk to them anyways," he excused. He, Yamamoto-soutaicho, Ukitake-taicho, and Unohana-taicho exchanged words before parting ways while he stayed.

Hina-chan laid in bed, still in her shinigami uniform. She had a breathing mask on her face and a needle in her arm. Her eyes were open, looking over at the wall. Her hands were scrunched up in the covers in silent anger. She turned her head to me.

"Ohayo," she said softly. She gave a pained smile. "What's up?"

"You baka! Why didn't you ask to postpone? Yamamoto-soutaicho!" I yelled at her. "He would…He would be totally okay with it! Why didn't you ask? You baka! He—We wouldn't have minded at all," I nearly whispered. "Don't be a baka. Please. Hina-chan? Please? Why don't you tell me anything? Why don't you trust me?" I held back tears.

"Come now, Ki-chan. Please don't cry. Onee-chan can make it all better. I'll make it all better. Trust me. Please. Trust Onee-chan. I didn't mean for you to cry. Onee-chan is sorry. Come here. Why don't I tell you a story, like always?" she suggested. Her voice was soft and soothing, making my tears dry. I sat by the large bed. Her soft hand was on my head.

"Where did we leave off?" she asked. "Onee-chan forgot again. Gomennasai."

"Onee-chan…" I whispered.

"Oh that's right. Now…" Her voice weaved a tale as my world slowly melted. Soon, it was just she and I. She told a story. I thought.

_When was it that she became my Onee-chan? _

_When was it that she decided that? _

_Was it that day she walked in the door and introduced herself with that calm aura?_

_Was it the day she told me she was an Onee-chan?_

_Was it when we exchanged stories and I told her I wanted an older sibling?_

_Was it the day I had a nightmare and she just sang it away? _

_When exactly did it start? _

_Hina-chan…Onee-chan…_

'_Ki-chan! That's wonderful!' Her smiling face popped up._

'_Ki-chan! Are you okay? What's the matter?' Her worried face joined in._

'_Ki-chan! Why didn't you just tell me?' Her sad face showed up._

'_Ki-chan! Hontoni? I'm like an Onee-chan? Then, I'll be yours. Even if I'm shorter than you, even if I'm younger than you, I'll be your Onee-chan. From this moment on, 'k?'_

'_Ki-chan. Onee-chan is here. Trust Onee-chan. Please…'_

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

"Gaya-san. Please come in," her soft voice resonated. I opened the door gently, wondering if it was okay even though Kuchiki was in there.

"You look terrible," I couldn't help but voice. An IV was attached to her arm and a breathing mask was strapped on to her face. Her face had regained some of its usual color, but it was still slightly pale. She was no longer sweating as heavily, but I was unsure of her temperature. The bed was elevated the slightest bit, letting her sit up a little. I could see Kuchiki's figure behind her and from her even breathing, I could assume that she was asleep. She gave a small, pained smile.

"I'm sure that's what every girl wants to hear," she joked.

"Ah! I mean! Uh…What I meant was! Ano…It's-" I stumbled.

"I'm kidding," she laughed. It was a shaky laugh, but all the warmth was still there.

"So…how are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'll be fine. Unohana-taicho chewed me out though."

"That's nice to hear. How long you going to stay bedridden?" I asked, trying to keep the concern from my voice.

"Unohana-taicho guesses another week or so. I think I'll be healed in a week, but she'll make me stay another week to torture me."

"Yokatta. **(Thank goodness.)**" She gave me another smile.

"I suppose. I can't wait 'til I can leave too. I hate being bedridden. It's so boring and…you make everyone around you worry. It's terrible." She gestured for me to come closer. I sat down by her bedside.

I was unable to help but notice how she kept an arm around Kuchiki, almost mother-like, but not quite; I was unable to help but see how every breath was shallow, as though it would be her last; I was unable to help but realize how pale she really was; I was unable to help but find myself wishing that she would be okay.

Her gaze changed to a more soft, comforting look.

"Gaya-san…" she silently murmured.

"Hai?" I asked.

"Will you allow me to weave you a tale?" she asked. I nodded. Then, her soft voice told me a story.

"There once was a land where hatred was common. It was so common that calamity broke out. Fighting, stealing, and betraying. Those were a few of the problems in the land. The founders of the land even created a system of economy based upon it, fighting that is. The people of the land were hardened and so were their hearts. They did not see the evil within.

"Despite all this calamity, kindness still existed, seeking solace in every heart possible. In several generations in particular, it created a special round of homes. Within one generation was a bunny, a dog, a kikai beetle, a fox, a cat, a wolf, a boar, a deer, and a butterfly existed.

"They all interacted with each other and worked together well in the school to learn to become what the lands called a hero. A shinobi. As they graduated, their dolphin-sensei split them up into teams of three as the leaders had decreed long ago and as how the monkey leader followed. Leading them was a scarecrow, a sunset, and a cigarette.

"The bunny, dog, and beetle learned to work hard together with the sunset and they were known as Team 8. The deer, boar, and butterfly worked with the cigarette and became known as Team 10. While Team 9 was made of the fox, cat, and wolf led by the scarecrow.

"Team 8 was known for their espionage skills. Team 9 was a well-rounded team, though they would definitely not be sent on a surveillance job. Team 10 was a knockout team, able to create a plan quickly and put it into action just as fast.

"Together, they worked hard and despite their differences, came to care for the other.

"Together, they would encounter tough situations and deadly enemies.

"Together, they would succeed and face the consequences when they didn't.

"Together, they would mourn.

"Together, they would laugh.

"Together, they were known as the Rookie 9…"

~Hinata's PoV~

I drifted off, my eyes feeling heavy with tears.

"O-Oi. Don't cry," Gaya-san said, wiping my eyes.

"Gomen. Gaya-san?" I called out hesitantly.

"Hai?" he asked.

"Can you stay here? At least until I sleep? Onegai? **(Please?)** Gaya-san?" I asked. He nodded.

"Only until you sleep though. I still have to work on the paperwork," he answered, making a slight scowl.

"Arigato," I replied, my eyes feeling heavy. I could barely make out his silent nod.

"Oyasumi. **(Good night.)** Get well soon," I heard him whisper. With that, I drifted off.

Yogan no Udewa and Iyashi no Hikari stood a few feet away, their expressions blank. The distance seemed to grow, separating me from them in this pitch-black world. I reached out to them, finding that it wasn't just them. It was everyone from the Seireitei and some from Konoha. They all looked at me with a blank expression as though I wasn't there. A hand landed on my shoulder. I looked up to the person just as a bright light blinded me. I was able to make out two things, however. The person had brown hair slicked back with a single strand in his face and white clothes with black edges.

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**Uwa! I'm finally done! I'm sorry it's somewhat late. School is starting soon! Wish me luck! I'm going to 8****th**** grade!**


	18. What Happened Time Skip Included

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. For those who haven't known until now, get your head checked.**

**The main point of this chapter is to show two things: **

**(1) The distinct relationship of dependence between all characters and Hinata. **

**(2) The seriousness of the attacks Hinata has and how all characters are worried. **

**Please keep these two things in mind while reading please.

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**

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

I watched as she talked with all the citizens and sorted out problems simply. She smiled when the cases ended. She thanked everyone, dismissing them. Her face lit up when she saw me.

"Toshiro-kun! You waited for me?" she questioned.

"What else would I be doing here?" I asked coldly. She smiled regardless of it, hearing my undertone of joy. We walked towards the Seireitei. She told me how the progress with the project she was working on was going while I told her some of Matsumoto's latest attempts to escaping paperwork.

The last year and a half had been a ton of work. After she was discharged, a private group of people (which were all the taicho, fukutaicho, some seated officers, and Rukia), watched her for the rest of the test. As Yamamoto-soutaicho asked her to verse everyone and show her bankai, before or after, Unohana lectured him saying that she had just recovered and pushing her that far would injure her health more. After a while, Yamamoto-soutaicho, with permission from Unohana, told her to pick one and that would count as the final test. She had chosen to verse people of his choice. It was Tosen, Yamamoto-soutaicho, and I versing her in an anything-goes battle.

The battle ended with a broken limb for every one of us and several large gashes and bruises. Oh, and apologies too. Her new squad, Division E. or Division Elemental, was made up of a total of 3 members: her, Momochi Haku, and Momochi Zabuza. **(For those slow people out there, it means she won.)**

Momochi **(Haku) **was quiet and had an ice-type zanpakuto. It had a light, somewhat cold blue hilt and the tsuba was a square with little dashes on it leading to the center. **(Resembling senbon.)** He was always seen around one of the two members of the squad. He said that Hinata-chan reminded him of an Onee-chan. He was around average height, but still taller than her. I, like most others of the Seireitei, mistook him as a girl at first. I'll never forget how he was unveiled.

She had stopped by every squad division and punched every guy who had hit on him in the gut and left. By the door, she would turn around and tell the nearest person that Momochi was a guy and that unless they want a serious relationship they should back off. She had started from the 13th division and was working down. Momochi had caught wind of it by the time she was off attacking subordinates in my division. He had come inside and argued with her for 10 minutes straight before both of them ended up laughing. Then, they visited the remaining barracks and passed on the message together. Yamamoto-soutaicho had lectured the two of them for 20 minutes straight before telling them that they have a weird way of sorting things out and laughing. Then, he sent them out.

Momochi-san **(Zabuza)** was louder and had a water-based zanpakuto. He also had a constant-release zanpakuto like Zaraki. It was large without a tsuba. It was a silver and black with a hole on the both ends. **(The sword he uses on the anime.)** He usually hung around one of the two members or Zaraki and Kusajishi. Hinata-chan mentioned that he acted like an uncle except more bloodthirsty, like Zaraki. He was around Zaraki's height and the fact that they both loved fighting? It wasn't fun to be around.

When they almost versed each other in the center of the Seireitei, Hinata-chan berated them for a while before ushering them off who-knows-where. An hour later, she showed up with both of them hanging off of her shoulder while she was yelling at them. Instead of healing them like everyone knew she could, she punished them by making them heal on their own. When they tried versing each other again when they met up in the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho, Hinata-chan added a broken arm to their injuries and another month and a half to their recovery time. Hinata-chan knew what was best apparently because Unohana didn't even lecture her and they never versed each other like that again without asking Hinata-chan though their arguments numbered plenty.

After making the squad, she traveled her world for an entire month to set up some system she had been working on with Momochi and Momochi-san. When she came back, we got closer, like best friends though I wanted to be more. She also changed her outfit. The top had mostly stayed the same, but the sleeves were slightly longer, her fingers barely showing, and had been made to stash all sorts of weapons. The usual puffy pants were discarded for a skirt that went a little below the knee. The outfit was more form fitting and increased the amount of crushes on her, unfortunately for me. Her hair was usually up in a bun, only coming down sometimes when she had been sparring vigorously. Her zanpakuto had stayed the same, still crossed on her back. When she came back, I noticed her reiatsu was more controlled than before.

She didn't have to help with paperwork anymore, much to her happiness, but instead had to work on some of her own, which she seemed to not mind. She did tons of activities despite the extra paperwork she got. Mountains were seen carried to her room, but her desk was usually empty or close to it.

She had built an entire new district for people from her world, saying that it would be much nicer for them to see those from their own town. She had managed to get everyone to move into them safely and efficiently. After some debating, it was known as District 0 **(in all 4 parts: North, South, East, and West)**. She had to fill several piles of paperwork for that.

Soon after, she began decreasing the number of crimes all over the Rukongai and created a system to solve many of the problems. She took a few hours everyday to solve difficult cases, in which the system was unsure of what to do. She had enlisted help from several different squads. Everyone in her squad had accepted and Madarame joined, mainly looking for troublemakers to beat up. Of course, Yumichika joined along for the ride as well as Abarai and Hinamori who joined with Izuru. She was able to convince Yamamoto-soutaicho to send more people to help. She even set up daily rounds for everyone and took it upon herself to do her own rounds daily. She was very dedicated despite the towers of paperwork I've seen people bring to her office.

Sometime during this, she had joined the Shinigami Women's Association as the supervisor. Hinata-chan said since she was just the supervisor, she didn't care all too much about the purpose if it was able to make all the members smile and didn't cause too much trouble. She added that whatever purpose it had wouldn't get far since "Chiru-chan isn't very focused on things like that. She'll probably use all of the budget on candy." Another pile of paperwork was added to the usual.

In addition, she often attended all the other clubs (ikebana, tea ceremony, and calligraphy) except the Shinigami Men's Association, for obvious reasons. She often sent several pairs of sunglasses to them from Gin Tonbo **(Silver Dragonfly)**, the popular (sun)glasses store of the Seireitei instead.

On the bad side, her attacks had been getting closer together and were getting fiercer too. Somehow, not many knew of it still. The only added people who knew were all of the taicho, all of the fukutaicho, everyone in her squad, and several seated officers.

We arrived at her office. She sighed, seeing Momochi-san arguing with Zaraki in front of her office. Kusajishi and Momochi was standing a little ways off, cheering them on. She bade me farewell, taking each of them by their ears before dragging them off to who-knows-where. Momochi and Kusajishi followed quietly, but still talking.

~Hinata's PoV~

It's been a while since I first died. It's been about 2 ½ years since I've died. I can't help but think about how Naruto-kun would have returned to the village permanently by now. I did die half a year after he left so it would have completed the 3 years. I can't help but remember everyone and their smiles. I can't help but feel somewhat homesick. I can't help, but love my life now though. I can't help, but smile knowing that home was where the heart is and my heart was now in the Seireitei as well as Konoha.

A lot has happened. Before I died, if someone told me about all of my accomplishments in the Seireitei, I would have waved it off or asked them if they were crazy. Really. I've gotten more confident. I've gotten stronger. I've had so much support. I'm happy.

Now, as I drag Pachi-kun and Za-kun to battle with Ha-kun and Chiru-chan following, I find myself unable to help but smile as I think about what's happened. That is, before the pain came again. It had been getting more and more sudden. It had also been getting more and more painful. I released my grip on them as they paused their argument, looking at me.

"You ok gaki? **(brat?)**" Pachi-kun asked.

"Oi! Oi!" I heard Za-kun yell out before my world turned black.

I awoke to the sound of the heart monitor beeping and the smell of anesthetic. Unohana-taicho stood nearby, jotting something down. She turned around.

"Oh, Hina-chan. Please be more careful. Zaraki-taicho and Momochi-san entered, disturbing the patients greatly."

"Gomennasai," I stated shortly. She nodded, leaving. Outside, I heard their soft whispers. "Come in already. I can hear you." They jumped in through the window, all four of them. Pachi-kun opened his mouth.

"If it's about how pathetic I look, I've heard before," I said sharply. He grinned that crazy smile.

"Of course, gaki! I was going to tell you to hurry the h311 up so that ol' Zabuza and I can go at it again!" he laughed. I rolled my eyes. He just couldn't say that he wanted me to get better.

"Hai. Hai. Don't destroy the Seireitei while I'm recovering," I warned them.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure they don't," Ha-kun said, pointing at Chiru-chan. She nodded.

"Get better soon, Hina-chan. Pretty please? We can go eat sweets together if you do," she begged. I rolled my eyes and nodded.

"Chiru-chan. Don't worry 'bout me. I'm a…What was it you called me?…Oh yeah. I'm a pillar. I won't fall just yet," I stated, just as my world became dark.

~No One's PoV~

Yachiru frowned as everyone else silently watched. She bowed her head, her bangs shadowing her face. A gentle tear made its way down her cheek.

"Baka Hina-chan. Even pillars can after lots of wear and tear. Even the strongest pillar can fall after hurt and pain." At that second, it was silent besides the sounds sniffling and tears hitting the floor.

~Rukia's PoV~

I heard conversation coming from her room before it quieted down. Unohana-taicho came and shooed all of them out after a while, letting me in. This time they were arguing about how long it would take to end a battle or something to that effect.

"Please take your time," she stated, closing the door behind her. I sat next to her bed, bowing my head. I sat there silently for a moment.

"Hina-chan," I finally whispered.

"Get better." I felt tears push at my eyes.

"Please…"

~Hinata's PoV~

I opened my eyes again, getting used to the light. I listened for a moment, finding a new beat of breathing beside me. Toshiro-kun sat there, his face turned sideways. His scowl was still somewhat present, but in a cute manner. I lay there silently, simply enjoying the quiet presences of two of my most favorite people. Ki-chan turned suddenly, falling off of the bed. She yelped, effectively waking Toshiro-kun up. He blinked sleepily for a moment, causing me to giggle.

"Ohayo. You're finally awake, sleepyheads," I smiled, tilting my head. Toshiro-kun straightened up immediately, shaking the sleepy look from his eyes while Ki-chan stood up, brushing the dust from her uniform. She slightly blushed.

"You've been out for at least 12 hours now. I wouldn't be the one to talk," she retorted. I pushed the covers up, swinging my legs off to one side of the bed. I stood up, starting for the door.

"Oi! Hina-chan! Unohana-taicho said that you have to stay for a check-up!" she yelled. I sighed before plopping back down on the bed obediently. Ki-chan rushed out to get Unohana-taicho.

"Causing trouble should be at the bottom of your list," he semi-joked, his tone slightly worried.

"I suppose, but it's also all part of my charm," I semi-joked as well. "I'm sure that you know that, To-shi-ro-kun~" I pronounced, teasing. He turned his head away from me, mumbling something under his breath. _Was he…?_

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

Her slender, small fingers hooked under my chin, turning me to face her curious eyes. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled brightly.

"Ah! I knew it! Toshiro-kun is blushing!~" she squealed, giving me her closed-eyed smile. I pulled away, leaving for the door.

"Eh? Toshiro-kun, gomen," she apologized, grabbing onto my sleeve. I paused, turning back to look at her. Her eyes met mine and she froze. "I mean—uh…I'm sure you have a lot of paperwork to do, ne? Good luck on that. I bet that Giku-chan is giving you a hard time and all…" her rambling trailed off before her gripped lessened. She slipped away before sitting back on the bed.

"I'll see you later," I told her, turning away.

"Matte," her soft voice begged. She paused. "Do I bug you a lot? I mean I always tease you and stuff, but you know that I don't mean it, right? I'm not a bother am I?"

"Che," I couldn't help but say. "A bother? What difference would it make? It hasn't deterred my feelings for you in the slightest. In fact, it may have encouraged them. Ja ne." With that, I opened the door and left.

~Rukia's PoV~

When I came back, she had the "I-can't-believe-it-happened!" kind of look on her face. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open. Her hands were loose on the bed sheets and her usual calm hair was starting to stick out of her bun. She completed the check-up without the usual complaints or any words at all and didn't even have a slight blush when the physical check-up came about. She left without a word and walked stiffly. Well, stiffly for her. She walked slower than usual and after she nearly crashed into several people, I decided to guide her home.

People stopped to watch. It wasn't every day that Hina-chan was unfocused and so silent. Usually she was talking to everyone and bursting with energy. Along the way, the—also—usual invites to dinner or lunch or some other place to get hit on, also ceased. My guess? They were all surprised at seeing Hina-chan like this. Truth be told, I was surprised too. _What happened?

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_

**Done!~ Hope you liked. It took me a while to think of how to write this.**


	19. Midnight Anxieties

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. **

**I know the timing of everything is kind of off. Please forgive me! I try and make it as accurate as possible, but I am not the best if you all can understand. Sumimasen! **

**In addition, the parts in Naruto that are redone and shown here are not accurate conversation-wise.

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**

~Hinata's PoV~

_Could it be…? What if…? I could be right…?_

_…love?…I'm wrong?…demo what if I'm not?_

I screamed into my pillow before collapsing on the futon, the pillow above my face.

"Hina-chan, daijobou?" Ki-chan asked cautiously. I shook my head before sitting up, letting the pillow fall into my lap. She looked at me worriedly. I buried my hands in my face, sitting with my legs crossed. I groaned. The quilts slightly shifted as she sat next to me.

"Spill. What's going on, Hina-chan? You're acting weird," she ordered. I buried my face in the pillow.

"Hina-chan," she whispered.

"Ki-chan?" I asked, somewhat muffled by the pillow.

"Hm?"

"I think that…my crush might like me back." I lifted my head a bit from the pillow.

"That's great!" Her smile seemed to sparkle.

_That's right…_

"Iie. I'm so nervous. I don't know what to do." I hugged the pillow to my chest tightly.

_I have to…_

"Hina-chan. I bet you that he will just go out with you if you ask…so…why don't you ask him out?"

_Do something terrible…I nearly forgot…_

"Ki-chan." I crossed my arms, allowing my hands to rest on my forearms.

_Ki-chan,_ _somewhere…_

"Un?"

_In your heart…_

"What if…I disappear? What would you think?" My nails dug into my skin.

_Please hate me forever…_

"That won't happen! Hina-chan is so strong and everyone will definitely do his or her best to get you back so you'll always be home. Everyone loves you. Everyone admires you. There is no way that we'll give up on you. Trust me. For once, why don't you trust Imouto-chan instead?" My hands released the pressure on my arms.

_So that…_

"Sodesuka. **(I see.)** I…" I paused as I let my bangs cover my eyes. "understand."

_I can die…_

"Naze **(Why)** are you asking this, Hina-chan?" I buried my face in my arms as she asked this guilty question. It was silent for a moment.

_At the end…_

"Tru—No reason," I said finally.

_In peace…Onegai…Ki-chan…_

_That way, I can do reckless things, knowing that I have nothing left to lose and nothing left to gain._

_From now on, I had to be careful. I couldn't let myself get too attached. I couldn't let anyone else come so close. I couldn't let them pay for my crimes. I couldn't drag them into my mess. I couldn't bear it._

~Rukia's PoV~

"Onee-chan…everything will be alright. Ne? Nothing bad will happen will it?" I asked cautiously. She didn't hesitate.

"Of course everything will be fine." _What about the second question?…_

~Gaara's PoV~

A heartbeat is near my ear. A soft melody floats through the air. Something wet fell on my hair. I blink my eyes groggily. The melody stops and I'm aware that I'm laying down on someone. A girl I believe. I glance up before pulling away, rubbing my eyes quickly, making sure I was seeing what I was seeing.

"Hinata…chan?" I question. She nods. She is the same size as when she died. Well, as far as I can assume with her sitting down. Her hair is in a bun. Her black outfit is form fitting. It had long, loose sleeves for the shirt and a skirt about knee-length. On top of it, she wears a white haori with the kanji for spirit on the back. It is hardly noticeable, but a necklace of a flame made out of dark wood is hung around her neck, a flower faintly seen in the center. On her wrist is a bracelet with flower charms. Crisscrossed on her back are two swords. Behind her are two people. Tears overflow from her eyes though she smiles.

"Gaara-kun! I can't believe you became Kazekage! I'm happy before you." I blinked owlishly.

"Tell everyone that I say my greetings and that Ha…ku and Za…buza do too. **(She's too used to calling them Ha-kun and Za-kun.)** Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan should know who they are. Kakashi-sensei too. I would never have thought that you would die first." She points to the two behind her.

They both wear a solid black kimono with the kanji for spirit on its sleeves. A small weapons pouch is hung on their waists. The shorter one wears a sword from his hip, the weapons pouch next to it, and has his hair up in a bun. The other, much taller, one has spiky hair and bandages around his face. He hangs the large and different sword from his back. Unless I was mistaken, it was one of the 7 Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. The Kubikiri Hocho **("Decapitating Carving Knife"; English: Executioner's Blade)**…? He had bandages around his face and his weapons pouch on his waist. I can faintly make out a necklace like Hinata-chan wears around both of their necks, except different shapes. One is of a teardrop (taller one) while the other has the slightest carving of a breeze inside a water drop (shorter one).

"Chotto matte. **(Hold on a minute.)** I'm dead? I need some time to digest it."

"You don't have much time here so don't worry. Do your best. I'm fine even though I'm dead. I've met lots of people and they're really kind. I miss you all a lot. Visit my grave more often. I know when you do. Even though I'm dead, I'm cheering for you. Don't forget. Tell everyone else too. I hope none of you forgot about me. Let's see…When you all pass away, I hope that all of you can forgive me. I made you all cry and I'm afraid that it's not the last time." I felt groggy again.

"Gaara-kun. When you get back, you won't be able to see me anymore. Please. Relay my messages and…live a long, happy life." I groggily nodded before her heartbeat was against my ear once again while the melody played. Her fingers ran through my hair, increasing my sleepiness before it was dark again.

"Gaara!" _Who am I?_

"Kazekage-sama!" _Who's calling out?_

"Gaara! Gaara!" _Oh, that's right. That's me._

"Kazekage-sama!" _Why are they looking for me?_

"Gaara!" _Why is it dark?_

"Kazekage-sama!" _Oh yeah. I should wake up. They're counting on me._

"Gaara!" With much difficulty, I pried my eyes open, blinking to get used to the light.

"Gaara, ol' buddy! You pulled through! You won't believe what Chiyo-baa-chan did! She did some amazing healing jutsu! Right now she's just asleep, but when she wakes up—" Naruto started.

"Naruto!" Sakura cut off. "She's not asleep. She's…passed on." His eyes widened with understanding. I looked over at her, surprised. His eyes softened. I stood up despite the protests. I ignored the loud, rambunctious cries from my "fans"—Temari and Kankuro called them.

"Let us all say our prayers to Lady Chiyo," I stated, silently praying for her. Afterwards, we arrived to the village, the entire village greeting us. After some time, Naruto, Sakura-san, and Kakashi-san all had to leave. I greeted them at the gate with Temari and Kankuro by my side.

"So you're leaving," I stated. Naruto nodded.

"I'll come visit some time. Be prepared! The next time I come, I'm going to be wearing a kage hat like you!" he shouted, pointing at me. I nodded.

"So for now, this is good-bye. I was never good at this stuff," I said, reaching my hand out to shake his. He hesitated. Gently, the sand pushed his hand until it met mine. "Arigato."

"No worries Gaara. If I was in your position, you'd come and help me too." He said this like a fact. I nodded before pausing. "Huh? What's the matter Gaara?" _How do I put this?…_

"I saw Hinata-chan and talked to her."

"Eh? Nani?" everyone (siblings included) yells at once. I nodded.

"What'd she say? What did you tell her? Tell us!" Naruto yelled, shaking my shoulders like a madman. Temari and Kankuro are silently begging me to say something while Kakashi-san is looking over at me surprised.

"Please tell us!" Sakura-san yelled, bowing. I nodded, shrugging Naruto off.

"She said to say hello. She said that someone named Haku and Zabuza do too. Sh—" I was cut off by all of their loud yells.

"Haku! And Zabuza! How do they know Hinata-chan? Eh?" I waited for their cries to quiet. After a few minutes, they're calm enough to listen once again.

"She said that she was happy. She says she's met lots of kind people and to not worry. She says to do your best. She wants us to visit her grave. She said she knows. She hopes that none of you forgot about her and that you all know that she's cheering for you. She wants everyone to know and she wants everyone to live a long, happy life. She said…" I trailed off.

"Nani? Nani Gaara?" Naruto asked. I bowed my head forward a little.

"She said…she's sorry. She wants us to forgive her when we pass on. She didn't say why though. She said that this wasn't the last time she made us cry and she's sorry," I struggled to say. I thought about her tears and how she was still smiling for me, the warm smile everyone loved. I remembered the look on her face and how she clutched her uniform so tightly. She held it so roughly that it might have torn. I thought about how soothing her heartbeat was. I remembered the sweet melody she hummed/sung.

"Gaara. Are you…crying?" Temari asked behind me. I wiped my cheeks to find that I, indeed, was crying. I looked back at her.

"You are too," I retorted pathetically. Kankuro was too, his face paintings somehow still staying. Naruto had a few tears running down his cheeks while Sakura-san let rivers fall from her eyes. Kakashi-san had his back turned to us and his hand on his face.

_Hinata-chan, you are too kind. You are too selfless. You are too you._

~Hinata's PoV~

"Oi. You don't look okay. You don't have to go through with it if you don't want to. Haku or I can—"

"No," I said sternly. "I've got to do this. I can't back down." Za-kun agreed reluctantly.

"We'll stand by you," Ha-kun said. Za-kun nodded, silently agreeing. I nodded, silently thanking them. We arrived at my office. I had created my own office and barracks within the Seireitei. It was hard to find a good spot, but after some discussing, it was built into the cliff sides of Sokyoku Hill. I discovered a nearby trainings ground, obviously man-made. It was kept as my own secret. No one else, except the ones who made it, knew as far as I knew about. **(It's Yoruichi and Kisuke's training grounds, where Ichigo got bankai.)**

"Hinata-chan," a voice greeted as I entered.

"Toshiro-kun!" I feigned surprise. I noticed Ha-kun and Za-kun's silently telling me that faking I didn't notice sucked. I silently told them back that it wouldn't matter as long as it fooled everyone. "What are you doing here?" Slight movements made the conversation. Anyone else would have just thought that we had glanced at each other for a minute, but we were really conveying a message.

"We need to talk," he said seriously.

"Is it personal or business?" I asked.

"Personal," he stated glancing at the two behind me. I dismissed them, thanking them for their silent support. I turned back to Toshiro-kun.

"So what's it about?" I asked, sitting down on the couch next to him. He fidgeted slightly.

"Oh, you got new flowers in your office," he said, diverting attention.

"Hai. **(I just learned that this is more business-like, but whatever. Forgive me for my lack of awareness in Japanese! I am Korean!)** That's feverfew. It means protection and it's our squad's flower emblem. So what was it you wanted to ask?" I asked.

"I…well…I…was wondering if we could hang out today. Alone," he said, his eyes elsewhere. I looked at him, noticing his nervous posture and faint blush.

"Hai," I said cheerfully. "How about we visit that place we used to go when we were kids?" I suggested. He nodded eagerly, pausing and composing himself before clearing his throat, a blush painting his face more clearly.

"I mean—hai. That would be wonderful," he said, coughing slightly. We both got up quickly.

"Let's go," I said as he turned his face away.

"Toshiro-kun?" I called. "What's the matter?" I turned my head to the side, feigning innocence.

_Gomennasai…_

"Nothing," he stated, taking a step. "Let's go." I stopped.

_Toshiro-kun…_

"Come on," I begged. "Tell me what's up. I thought best friends told each other everything," I said, silently wincing.

I have…

"Nothing," he said more firmly, stopping. He turned his back towards me. "Ah. I forgot some paperwork I have to do. I'll…see you later. Don't bother stopping me. Your desk is full of it too." I looked over it. I sighed, agreeing reluctantly though inside I was silently weeping.

_To do something…_

"Hai. I wish you luck on finding Giku-chan," I told him blankly. He nodded, his movements strained and silent. I couldn't help but feel a tight clench in my throat.

_Terrible…_

"Un. I wish you luck on getting all of your other projects started," he said, taking a few more steps.

_Onegai…_

"So…I'll see you later?" I asked. He looked back at me. I couldn't help but feel my stomach drop as my now-crush gave me a sad smile.

_Hate me…_

"Sure," he finally said heavily. With that, he left.

_With all of your heart…So, just like with Ki-chan and everyone else, I can do reckless things without regret and without concern._

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

_Baka. Baka. Baka! 'Best friends,' she says. How could I have thought that she liked me? Baka. Baka. Baka!_

~Hinata's PoV~

It was days later that a new recruit came into the Soul Society. It's a secret, but everyone from the elemental continents had a zanpakuto. Most formed it a week or so after their death based on what they told me. I had met many other shinobi from the elemental continents. Some knew their zanpakuto's name. Only a few knew their shikai, simply because there was no point. They all controlled their reiatsu so that the zanpakuto was small and they didn't see the point when everyone lived peacefully (mostly) and they weren't planning on being shinigami. The new recruit formed it a little bit earlier than a week from his death. The new recruit? Sarutobi Asuma. Jounin of Konoha and sensei of Team 10.

He came surprised and was happy to see me. As a rule of my squad, I could recruit anyone I deemed worthy. He was shocked at my power, I suppose. He passed and entered the squad easily. He wore the usual black shinigami uniform and had the weapons pouch next to his zanpakuto on his waist. The charm he wore was a circle with carves of a breeze inside. He wore the charm as a bracelet, claiming that wearing it as a necklace "is too girly for my taste" and to which Ha-kun and Za-kun both almost, sort of beat him up for. He still smoked, much to my distaste, but he promised to not smoke indoors, especially after I sort of, kind of, really scared him into it.

"Hinata-chan! Where do you want this stack?" he called out, kicking open the door with one foot. The giant stack of papers almost hit the doorframe.

"Mendosuke," I muttered while he chuckled a little. I didn't look up from the report I was reading, pointing the pen in my hand towards the other (smaller) stack of papers beside me. He dropped the large pile on top of the small one, brushing off some sweat on his brow with the back of his hand.

"Asuma-sensei, would you mind dropping this stack off at Yama-soutaicho's office?" I asked, pointing at the large stack on the other side of me. He grabbed it without a word, closing the door behind him with his heel before stopping.

"Ah, Hinata-chan. Zabuza-san is coming in with more paperwork," he shouted before walking down the hallway. Ha-kun came in as well, carrying a pile just as big. They dropped the pile off while Za-kun commenting on how the stack was "extra large" for some reason.

"Today, I volunteered to finish all of the squads' paperwork so that the taicho and fukutaicho could have a day to relax," I stated just as several fukutaicho came in with the paperwork.

"Eh?" they all shouted at once. I looked up from my paperwork finally. Giku-chan **(Rangiku)** and Chiru-chan **(Yachiru)** dropped their stacks of paper while Isa-chan **(Isane)**, Ha-kun, and Za-kun froze, a surprised look on their faces. I dropped a pile of paper where the old one had been.

"You better pick that up. I need to work diligently if I want to turn these all in to Yama-soutaicho, write a summary, and distribute it all out," I ordered, counting off the list with my fingers before dropping another stack on top of the others.

"Demo Hina-chan! I was looking forward to eating sweets with you and then watching you and Ken-chan go all out!" Chiru-chan complained, getting close to my face.

"Demo Hina-chan! I wanted to go to the hot springs with you!" Giku-chan whined, pushing past Chiru-chan.

"Demo Hina-chan! I thought that we could go shopping!" Isa-chan yelled, joining in with the two.

"Hina-chan!~" they all said at once. I shoved my free hand into their faces, moving them away from me. I pushed them off, making sure they wouldn't do it again as I signed and stamped some more work.

"Don't bother complaining!" I stated as I worked, my face buried into the papers once again. "I did this for you all to have a free day." _And to silently plot and also to silently alleviate some of the future sins I'm about to do…_I made a new stack, wishing Asuma-sensei had taken the other three stacks as well.

"I know. I'll get Taicho to help!" Giku-chan cried out as though it was the greatest idea ever.

"Pass," I quoted from Hikari-chan _(Please forgive me about what I am about to do!)_. "He's one of the reasons I did this." Giku-chan opened her mouth. "He's always stuck doing Giku-chan's paperwork on top of his own.

"Uki-taicho also can't do his own paperwork and the two third-seats can't stop fighting long enough to finish even a stack of it.

"Then, Chiru-chan and Pachi-kun rarely do their paperwork. On top of that, Na-chan **(Nanao) **has to do Shun-taicho's **(Shunsui)** stacks of work.

"Since Ichimaru-taicho recently became the 3rd division taicho and Mo-chan became Aizen-taicho's fukutaicho, there's even more paperwork to add on. Kira-kun is going to become fukutaicho under Ichimaru-taicho too.

"In the 2nd division, Omaeda-fukutaicho slacks often so Shaolin-chan **(Soifon)** has to do his paperwork too.

"So, besides giving everyone a day off, I'm also cleaning out the paperwork back-up, I suppose you could say," I explained. "Go enjoy yourselves. I'll finish this by the end of the day. I can hang out with everyone later. If you really want to help, you guys can pick up the papers and take several stacks over to Yama-soutaicho." I pointed my pen over at the 5 piles while adding another stack onto the top. Meanwhile, Chiru-chan and Giku-chan picked up the papers while Isa-chan dropped them off to the side of me.

Once they finished picking up the papers, Chiru-chan was the first to grab a stack.

"Yachiru-chan! I thought that you would be complaining," Giku-chan stated truthfully.

"Demo," Chiru-chan began. "Whenever Hina-chan is like this, you can't change her mind at all! Don't you remember? She was like this when people were trying to get her to postpone the test." Giku-chan sighed.

"That's true," she stated, grabbing another pile. Isa-chan grabbed the other pile while Ha-kun and Za-kun both grabbed the last of it. I waved a hand as a greeting before the door closed. Every so often, Ki-chan would come in and drop off some food and water, but other than that I was left alone to finish the large stack.

Tomorrow, I would find at least half of the squads drunk and passed out around the Seireitei. Another quarter would be asleep in the training grounds, training until they had literally dropped. The last quarter would be asleep in their beds or up and already busy. Let's just say that Unohana-taicho was very taxed for remedies for hangovers and broken limbs, bruises, and cuts that day.

It would be days later that I would suffer from the worst attacks yet.

I lay in bed, listening to the soft conversation of everyone around me. It was blurred; I couldn't understand it. Their voices were a great comfort though. I couldn't open my eyes. It was too painful. Just trying made racks of pain spread through my body, so I lay there listening.

I could hear the barely noticeable beeping of the heart monitors and the soft drip of the IV. I could hear the sound of my own breath in the breathing mask. I could hear quiet arguments of Pachi-kun and Za-kun. I could hear Chiru-chan mutely cheering Za-kun on and Ha-kun trying to calm them down. I could hear Ki-chan and Mo-chan sitting on my left, whispering amongst their selves. I could faintly hear breathing from outside of the window, Shaolin-chan maybe. I could hear the almost-silent sigh of Toshiro-kun on my right, tired of all the noise without a doubt.

I heard the door open and the soft, firm voice of Unohana-taicho shooing everyone out. Soft footsteps made their way to the door. I heard Toshiro-kun's voice declare something while Unohana-taicho apparently agreed for Chiru-chan whined, most likely about how unfair it was. A soft thump was heard. I heard the soft sounds of Toshiro-kun and Shaolin-chan. The voices became clearer.

"I don't see why you have to wait until everyone leaves to come in," Toshiro-kun stated.

"It will not do her any good if she finds that almost everyone is worried," her voice replied from my left, most likely sitting where Ki-chan and Mo-chan had been sitting. He snorted.

"She probably knows anyways. She somehow always does," he retorted.

"Perhaps," she said shortly. Afterwards, the room was silent except for the soft breathing and the sounds of the machines. Finally, after much work, my eyes opened slightly. I blinked rapidly, adjusting to the bright lighting. I heard a chair move backwards, the scratchy sound waking me up a bit more. Her soft footsteps headed towards the window.

"Sh…aolin…-chan," I called out slowly. There was a pause. "Stay please…?" I turned my head to my left, seeing her coming back and sitting down silently. "I don't get to see you too often anymore, do I?" Her face was painted with a light blush. "It's nice to see that you care for me." Her fists were clenched around her uniform. "How about I tell you more about the story? I never get to except that first time. You don't mind do you, Toshiro-kun?"

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

Her head turned towards me and her soft eyes met mine. I shook my head.

"Go ahead. It'll be nice to refresh on the story," I commented, trying my best to keep a blush off of my face. She gave me a small, warm smile before turning back to Soifon.

"Eto…**(Let's see…) **The Rookie Nine…I suppose I should first tell you about the main character. It should be the fox, with all sincerity, but the only tale I can completely tell is the bunny's story." She paused and reached out for both of our hands. We took it hesitantly before becoming lost in the tale once again.

"The bunny was raised in a family of hawks and eagles. The hawks served the eagles for generations and protected the family's secret battle techniques. It was a cold, hard family with high expectations and low tolerance for kindness. It was into this family that the bunny was born. She was supposed to be an eagle and one of the best at that, born as the family's heiress.

"Alas, instead she was born soft-hearted with an unsteady amount of power. She tried her best to make her family proud and it was a long, hard road. At a young age, she already had several attempts at kidnapping. **(I mean besides the one from the Cloud. I'm pretty sure there wasn't, but go with it.)** She grew up unconfident and shy, often wishing to be another child out on the street instead of the 'Great Hime-sama.' It was with this attitude she first met the beetle, dog, and sunset.

"The beetle was strong and silent; he calculate things greatly and took his time to rationally think things out. The dog was fierce and loyal; he charged headfirst into things, often forcing things to work out. The two were like older brothers, often threatening to beat and also beating others up if they so much as looked at her funny. The sunset was calm and collected; she tried her best to keep the team together and was the mother-like figure in the bunny's life, giving advice on multiple subjects that were personal and business.

"When they were first put together as a team, it didn't work out well. The sunset was new at teaching and was inexperienced first. The beetle was unused to working as a team and the dog was too brash to try and work out something that would take a long time to manage. The bunny…was too scared to try and connect with them. It was the point of the team to work so well that it their very souls were connected, in battle at the very least.

"They passed many missions together, learning about each other and how to work together. The beetle learned to push the dog down in his place if he became too rude. The dog learned how far to push the sunset's temper. The sunset learned what to say to the bunny and the bunny learned what the beetle was trying to say. It was peaceful, I suppose you could say. There were no wars going on and the fighting between the four of them diminished after a while." Her words became farther apart and softer.

"That is…until a test. It was to rank higher, show off I suppose, and get more pay. But also…it was more dangerous. It was because of this test that everything changed…" She stopped, her breathing soft. She fell asleep. Soifon and I both looked up at each other and laughed a little. It was so like her.

Soifon and I had a mutual relationship. If we did something out of character, it would be a secret between us. We both trusted each other well enough and both of us couldn't say no to Hinata-chan. We were also alike in how we had lazy, annoying fukutaicho and a cool, calm demeanor.

Soifon and I both let a peaceful silence come upon us. I stood up, letting go of her warm hand gently, wishing to hold onto that warmth a little more.

"Today, you can stay with her. I've got to go track down Matsumoto," I said irritably. She nodded mutually understanding.

"Good luck," she stated. I nodded.

"Arigato," I thanked, closing the door behind me.

~Hinata's PoV~

I slowly opened my eyes, letting the lights adjust once again. Beside me, Shaolin-chan laid asleep, her breathing soft and steady. She held me around my waist and my left arm, her face half-buried into my clothes. I couldn't help but smile. She looked so relaxed. I shifted slightly sitting up more. Her grip tightened and she muttered something indistinguishable, burying her face more. I reached over with my right arm and stroked her short hair, remembering when my hair was this short. I pat her head a few times before slipping out carefully, tucking her in after. _Sayonara…_

I slipped out the door, bumping into Shun-taicho. Literally.

"My my, Hina-chan. Where do you think you're going?" he asked casually.

"The usual. I'm going to go up on top of the Senzaikyu to watch the sunset." I gave him a smile before dashing off, waving my hand. "Sayonara!" I heard him chuckle before Na-chan appeared and smacked him with her book, probably telling him that he needs to do his paperwork. I laughed while running towards the center of the Seireitei. I couldn't help it.

Before long, the sun was setting, painting the skies with its warm orange glow. After a few minutes, his reiatsu appeared beside me.

"Found you," he said simply. I turned my head to him.

"Do you need something?" I asked. He stayed silent for a moment. He gazed at me, his eyes burrowing into mine. For a moment, I almost couldn't breathe, like his gaze was embracing and crushing me at the same time.

"Iie," he said finally. "I just felt like I should come see you. How's the paperwork coming?"

"It's fine. What about yours?"

"Matsumoto still needs to do hers, but over all it's good."

"Sodesuka." I turned my head back to the sunset, closing my eyes. I let the warmth seep into my skin as the stars began appearing. When I opened them, I looked up, letting my eyes roam over the stars. I looked forward again, noticing Toshiro-kun staring at me.

"Na-Nani?" I asked embarrassedly, trying my best to keep a blush down. He turned his head forward.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking." I turned my head forward too and when the moon was bright against the sky, I jumped off, knowing that Toshiro-kun would follow. I waited for him and sure enough, he landed beside me a few seconds after.

I walked towards my office as Toshiro-kun followed. We enjoyed the silent peace, not bothering to fill up the empty sounds. We stopped at the door. _I had to do something…_

"Arigato, Toshiro-kun. I'm really glad that we got to hang out today," I thanked softly. "Sayonara." Gathering up as much courage as I could, I gave him a light kiss on his cheek before running into the office, closing the door quickly after me. Ha-kun and Za-kun were there, the former reading on a couch and the latter fighting near it with an invisible opponent with a wooden sword. They both looked up with surprised looks on their faces. Asuma-sensei was looking out a window, his hand on his face. He also turned to look over at me. He shook his head with a surprised grin on his face.

"Who would have thought?" he muttered. "Hinata-chan falls in love once again."

"Lo-Lo-Lo-Lo-Love?" Ha-kun and Za-kun cried out at once. I ignored them, already at my desk reading a book.

"Matte! Again?" They yelled at once. They didn't bother me, knowing how I was like when I was reading something though they took not-so-secret glances at me all the while. My mind wasn't into the story though. I reread the same sentence several times before giving up, slamming the book on my desk as well as my forehead. The three took it as an "okay" to start asking questions.

"What does he mean again?" Ha-kun asked. I looked up at them.

"Do we have to beat up the first one?" Za-kun threatened. I couldn't help but feel the irony in this comment.

"The first one was Naruto," Asuma-sensei answered for me. My fingers itched to curl into fists.

"Naruto!" they shouted at once, pouring a fresh new load of questions on me. My irritation level slowly rose. _They already knew that…_

"Did you confess?" Ha-kun asked, getting straight to the point. I resisted blowing up at them.

"Does he know?" Za-kun wondered aloud. I closed my eyes counting backwards from 10.

"Tell us!" they yelled at me in unison. As though some switch went off in their heads, they remembered what I had currently just done. _10…_

"Why didn't you confess to Hitsugaya-taicho and get together with him?" Ha-kun asked politely, but at the same time unseemly. My fingers curled into fists. _9…_

"I bet you two would have made a great couple! Go get him!" Za-kun encouraged. I waited for the questions to slow down. _8…_

"Come on Hinata-chan. Why don't you go after him?" Asuma-sensei asked calmly and enthusiastically. _7…_

"Go confess to him!" Ha-kun cheered. _6…_

"Iie! Let the two of us go and beat him up first!" Za-kun shouted, letting his bloodthirsty side appear. _5…_

"Yeah!" all three of them agreed, turning to each other.

"Urusai!" I yelled at them, unable to hold my irritation in any longer. I let my head thump to the table, clinging to the pain knowing that it was fleeting, just like my time in the Seireitei as of now.

"This isn't a joking matter," I stated, my tone serious. They quieted down.

"I shouldn't have done that…At all…I shouldn't lead anyone on. I shouldn't have given into my feelings either." I looked up at the three, letting tears push through my eyes.

"Think about it. I'm going to do something horrible; today no less. I…just made his hopes fly and by tomorrow…forget it," I said sadly. I stood up abruptly. "I'm going out."

"Hinata-chan…" Asuma-sensei started. I didn't pause as I left, slamming the door behind me, though it did not fall off its hinges to my luck. _A good run sounds nice…_

~Asuma's PoV~

Za-kun stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. He shook his head.

"You might not know this, but whenever she needs to...err…relieve stress, I suppose you could say, she does one of two things. She either runs around the Seireitei a good number of times or she goes a good distance away from the Seireitei with a dummy and makes it so that it's never seen again. Once, someone followed her and she landed him in the Sogo Kyugo Tsumesho for several months because he had been caught in the aftershock. The _aftershock_. He didn't even get close enough to see the attack; lucky for him. If he had been any closer, he could have died," Haku-san explained. I stayed silent.

"Asuma-san?" Zabuza-san questioned. I turned my head towards him.

"Hm?" I asked.

"I know that you were close to her when you were alive. There's no doubt about it. Demo…a lot has changed. She tells stories you know. When she's sick in bed and people come in, if they're the last person, she tells them a story. The story…is about when she's alive. That's why we know she changed.

"One day, she took my and Haku by the hand and led us to her quarters. I forgot what she wanted us to do…" he broke off slightly.

"She wanted our opinion on the new flower emblem," Haku chimed in.

"That's right. She was thinking about juniper, I think it was. It means protection too and she showed it to us. Anyways, right then and there, she had an attack. We were really shocked you know. Usually someone else like Kuchiki-san **(Rukia)**, Ukitake-taicho, or Unohana-taicho was nearby so they would take care of it. We nearly had a heart attack ourselves. We lifted her onto the bed and Haku here left and got Unohana-taicho, since he was faster, while I stayed and watched her. She came and did whatever she does. After she left, we stayed and watched her. We were shaken up. A lot.

"After what seemed like an eternity, she opened her eyes. She blinked several times and looked at us. Then, she just smiled. She just had loads of pain and she smiled. She took our hands and told us a story. From start to finish. Everyone else, she breaks it up for, but she told it to us from start to finish. To the point she died.

"We know that she was shy, unconfident, and what some people called 'weak.'

"We know that she was only a genin when she died.

"We know that she died to give her life up to Naruto, her crush, even though she denies it and says she was stupid to block it.

"We know that she died saving several of her friends' lives, even if she doesn't think about it.

"That's why we can tell you that's she's changed.

"She's powerful now. She's powerful, physically and mentally.

"She's strong. She beat up all the academy students at once and had to get a lecture from Yamamoto-soutaicho. She beat 4 captains for her test and she flew through the Academy's courses. She formed her zanpakuto under a day from her death. She's threatened captains and they take it literally!

"She's strong. She's killed and seen someone killed. She won't let anyone control her and I know from experience that she will kick anyone's $$ if they try. She's consoled every single Shinigami and knows every single person by name, birthday, age, squad, profile **(looks)**, and things that most people wouldn't even think about. She's…so strong." He paused here for a moment and looked over at Haku-san. They shared a look before they looked over at me. Haku-san sighed.

"Listen…Something's going on. Asuma-san. We can't tell you yet. What's going to happen is something big. It could change the entire world and Hinata-chan…won't let anyone else take her place. Don't get me wrong. It's not the best place or anything. In fact, it's the worst. And…that's why she grabbed it without hesitation and shoved us back. She's the only one, that we know of, that's noticed and she decided from the moment she told us that…we're only allowed to reveal it under certain circumstances. We're not sure how long it will take either. So…be patient and trust in her," Haku-san requested. I thought for a moment and pulled out a cigarette out of the pack from habit. I chewed one absentmindedly between my lips before sighing.

"Hai, hai. I suppose that if I can trust her before, than I can trust her now." I closed my eyes for a few seconds before opening them. I headed towards the door.

"I'll be out somewhere. Hinata-chan doesn't like it when I smoke inside," I somewhat reminded myself with my hand on the door. From behind, I could almost feel both of them smile.

"Hai. We'll await your return," Haku-san stated while Zabuza-san grunted.

"Yeah," I said calmly before the door opened. And slammed into my face.

~Hinata's PoV~

"Asuma-sensei!" I shrieked. "Sumimasen!" I apologized, bowing.

"No problem Hinata-chan," he said in his deep voice. His hand was on my head, messing up my hair. "Whatever you're going to do, just come back, will ya?" I looked up at his bright smile, a cigarette hanging limp in his mouth. "I'm sure that everyone would love to see you when they come into this place." I gave a half-smile.

"We'll see," I stated, letting mystery hang about. I gently lifted his hand off of my head. I walked calmly to the desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a fresh new piece of paper as Asuma-sensei left, to smoke without a doubt. I knew it must have been a weird sight: a teenage(-looking) girl in white shorts and a black tank top writing in a large office that didn't seem to be meant for her. I couldn't deny the wry smile that crawled onto my face. The ones who did not like, would have to deal, because it was for me and it wouldn't change. _Hopefully…_

~Haku's PoV~

I knew from her face that she had thought of something amusing.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked. She looked up at me.

"I just thought about my life right now. I want it to stay this way." Her eyes were half-lidded with wisdom. "By tomorrow, I won't be here anymore and eventually someone will come and take this position once again." Her amused grin came upon her face again. "I can't help but imagine Naruto-kun taking this seat years from now. Perhaps the current Hokage, Tsunade-sama, will. Then…I think about everyone. What's going to happen when I leave?" She buried her face in her arms, the document half-done in front of her. Zabuza put a hand on her head.

"Don't worry 'bout it gaki. Me and Haku will take care of everything. That's the least we can do. You've got the hard part so don't worry about us. The least you can do is not mess it up! Got that, gaki!" Zabuza encouraged, yelling at her at the last part. She lifted her head from her arms, with that fake smile of hers.

"Kidding," she joked. Zabuza yelled at her a bit but when he glanced back at me, we understood each other. She hadn't been. It would be good enough to fool anyone else, but the two of us knew that more than anything, she had been telling the truth. More than anything, she worried about us without any regard to herself. Minutes later, all three of us in her room. She was asleep on her bed while the two of us watched over her.

"Zabuza," I stated.

"Yeah. I know," he answered. We didn't have to look at each other to know that her greatest weakness was the Seireitei and her greatest strength was the same. We didn't have to look at each other to know that her greatest quality was her personality and her greatest threat was herself. We didn't have to look at each other to know that her life would be bumpy and that no matter how rough it got, she wouldn't say a word about it to anyone, including us. We didn't have to look at each other to know that we were both sobbing and that we were both weeping for her…

_Now…it was beginning…_

_It…_

_Trouble…_

Minutes later, the world slowly turned black before my eyes closed once again and I fell asleep.

~Hinata's PoV~

I lay down on the ground, utterly defeated. The moon was full above me, shining its soft light around me. Despite that, I couldn't see very far. My vision was painted with black and red. He moved away with one last word. _Failure…_he whispered.

As he left, he left one of his "subordinates" and he stood above me with sword raised.

"My my Hina-chan," he mocked. "Who'da thought that ya would get so roughed up?" His silver hair gleamed and his fox-like eyes accented his smile. "I'm afraid that this is the end. See you." His sword came down towards me, crashing into the ground where I had been.

I let a feral growl come out of my throat before giving into the pain. This was it.

I thought back over the time I have been dead. I've had tons of fun. I suppose it was worth it.

_It was going to change…_

_Sumimasen._

_Unohana-taicho…Iie. Unohana-san._

_Komamura-taicho…Iie. Komamura-san. _

_Kira-kun…Iie. Izuru-san._

_Renji-kun…Iie. Abarai-san._

_Shuhei-kun…Iie. Hisagi-san._

_Bya-taicho …Iie. Kuchiki-san. _

_Uki-taicho…Iie. Ukitake-san._

_Yama-soutaicho…Iie. Yamamoto-san._

_Na-chan…Iie. Ise-san._

_Isa-chan…Iie. Kotetsu-san._

_Giku-chan…Iie. Matsumoto-san. _

_Chiru-chan…Iie. Kusajishi-san._

_Pachi-kun…Iie. Zaraki-san._

_Mo-chan…Iie. Hinamori-san._

_Shaolin-chan…Iie. Soifon-san._

_Ki-chan…Iie…Sumimasen. Kuchiki-chan._

_Toshiro-kun…Iie…Sumimasen…Hitsugaya-san._

_There are so many others I want to say it to, but there isn't enough time. For now, it will have to do. I'll apologize again. Later. For now…Sumimasen._

"Who knew that ya had so much fight left in ya. I'm afraid ya'll hav-" he broke off suddenly as I lunged at him, swinging a punch at him.

"Just try it! I'll die before I'll let him succeed!" I yelled, my voice hoarse. "I'm starting my counterattack now! Just try it!"

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**Don't kill me! I know that I haven't updated in a while, but I made this one extra long in return! This is nearly 12 pages long! School's been a little rough I suppose, but I hope that all my faithful readers aren't too mad at me. (It's also because of school that when I write I change the borders to an inch each out of habit so there is more for readers to read.) I've been working on this in most of my spare time. Please review!**


	20. Hinata Gone

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I hope that this chapter meets up to your expectations.

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~No One's PoV~

Loud gongs rang off throughout the Seireitei. Shinigami scurried in panic all around, gathering near Yamamoto-soutaicho's office. All the taicho and fukutaicho stood by him. Shinigami went and woke up heavy-sleepers. Loud shouts were heard all around the Seireitei before every single Shinigami was around the building, mingling. Many whispers and conversations went around before Yamamoto-soutaicho pounded his wooden cane on the ground, the sound echoing throughout the courtyard.

"Silence!" he demanded. "Something powerful is in the Rukongai. Do not let it enter the Seireitei! 8th, 10th, and 13th Division guard the West gate. 5th and 9th Division guard the East gate. 6th and 7th Division guard the South gate. 3rd, 11th, and 12th Division guard the North gate. 1st and 2nd Division patrol the walls. 4th Division, standby as the medical relief. Do not let that thing destroy our homes! Ukitake, Zaraki, Hitsugaya, Shunsui, Komamura, Byakuya, Gin, Soifon, and those of Division E. are to follow me. All fukutaicho, Kurotsuchi, Tosen, Aizen, and Unohana stay back with your squad and help guard the Seireitei."

Yamamoto-soutaicho held a hand out as all the taicho, fukutaicho, and Division E. members around him put their hands on top of his.

"We, at this moment, head into a decisive battle. Have faith that our blades will not shatter. Have faith that our hearts will not waiver. And even if our paths should diverge, we all share a heart of iron. Swear that even if the ground beneath us should be rent asunder, we will live and return to this place again." **(Bleach episode 150. Bleach chapter 248. I do not own!)**

Quickly, all those that could, used shunpo to arrive at their stations while the rest ran/jogged.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

We all used shunpo to match Yamamoto-soutaicho's steady, yet fast speed. We moved over rooftops at a fast rate, only blurs in anyone else's eyes.

"Yama-jii," came Kyoraku's deep voice. "What's going on? Where's Hina-chan?" We all waited for his answer. Momochi **(Haku)** answered.

"Hina-chan is the problem," he answered simply with a hard look in his usually kind eyes.

"Nani?" all the taicho voiced in unison.

"Demo…how is that possible? Hinata-chan vowed to protect the Seireitei!" Komamura countered with a fierce look. Momochi-san made a deep growl in the back of his throat, his face turned away from ours. Yamamoto-soutaicho shook his head a little.

"That is why we must stop her. Something terribly wrong has happened," he said deeply.

"I refuse to believe it!" he yelled finally. "She's got to have a good reason for it!" Everyone agreed. It wasn't long before came to a large clearing within a forest with tall trees. In the nearly full moon, the moonlight shined down on the trees gently, as though it was a mother, and menacingly, making pronounced shadows that almost seemed to crawl into nightmares.

We all landed in the clearing, about to take off once again before a snap is heard. We all stand look around warily. A black blur speeds through bushes behind me and as I turn around, something jumps out. The person waves a long sword, aiming to slash me, but missing by a hair's breath. All around, similar looking people attack each person. The person jabs at me again and again, each time it becomes much harder to dodge before he (she?) is tackled aside by Momochi-san. The two land on the ground roughly, Momochi-san crushing the person beneath. All of the other people poof into oblivion. _That technique…_

We all crowd cautiously around Momochi-san, looking down on the person. The person has long inky hair that splays across the person's face. _Familiar hair._ That person has fair skin, almost too pale. _Familiar skin._ That person is wearing a black Shinigami uniform, modified. _A familiar uniform._ I lean down, brushing the hair away from the person's face. _A familiar person._ We all look down in disbelief.

"Hinata-chan!" Momochi-san exclaims, the first to find his voice. Half of her face is contorted with pain. Her eye is closed shut and she bites on her lip as though it's the only thing keeping her alive. The other half of her face has a white substance crawls across her face. It is a blank white that is smooth in a perfect layer over her face.

"Kill me," her soft voice says hoarsely. There was a strange silence as the wind blew through the trees around us.

"Kill me now!" she said urgently, opening her eyes and looking at each of us. "My-My body! It acts on its own and I don't know how much longer I can hold it back! Kill me! Kill me now!" Everyone looks at her surprised, in shock. Momochi-san looked like he could be knocked over with a feather. "Now! I-I-I don't know how much longer I can hold it! Hurry up!" She yells this plea loudly, urgently, breaking us out of our shock.

"H-Hinata-chan," I say, my voice cracking. "What are you saying?" There is a small pause. "Quit joking around. Quit it! You're stronger than this! We're not about to kill you! You're stronger than that. You can resist it no problem!" I yell this at her desperately, unbelieving. A few seconds later, she pushes Momochi-san off of her, slashing a large wound across his chest with the sword that had laid on the ground forgotten in silence until now. She looks at me with shocked eyes, his blood landing on her cheek.

"No!" she yells out hoarsely. "No! Za-kun!" Even though her eyes are looking at him with such urgency, her feet move forward towards Ukitake and me. She glances at us before realizing how she is moving towards us. The white material crawls across her face again, covering her nose and half of her mouth in the flawless white color.

"Kill me," she whispers. "Hurry. Please. Before…Before I do that again. Wh-What are you doing? Draw your sword! Run me through! Now! Before—Hurry up!" she yells urgently. Suddenly, Momochi-san stands up sluggishly, the same white substance covering the wound across his chest. On his face the white liquid covers the bottom half of his face, covering his bandages and still moving upward. Hinata-chan cannot hold it back any longer it seemed for Momochi-san and she made quick hand signs and summoned up two clones each.

Momochi-san begins the attack, starting with a large slash at Yamamoto-soutaicho. I could feel his hesitation to injure one of our own as well as Ukitake's and Kyoraku's as the parry Hinata-chan's swift blows. Momochi and Sarutobi jump in, blocking Momochi-san's blade. I jump in with Byakuya about to slice at Momochi-san until a clone of Hinata-chan's gets in the way. The clone kicks us both away while another clone keeps Ichimaru busy. Soifon and Komamura fight off one of Momochi-san's clones while Zaraki takes the other clone all by himself, smiling like a maniac.

We all narrowly avoid cuts that may turn us into white-faced villains like the two. We parried blows for hours (or was it minutes?) before she suddenly stops and elbows Momochi-san away.

"I'm holding it back now," she says breathlessly. "Hurry—Hurry up and kill me!" Her eyes beg me in ways I can't explain. (Was her life the only thing at stake?) Against all sense, I drop my sword and walk towards her. I stop when I'm in front of her.

"You won't hurt me," I say confidently. "There's no way that you could hurt us. You love us all too much." I hold my hands out to her, offering a hug.

She gives me a half-smile before crying, dropping her sword, and somehow ripping the terrible matter off of her face. She hugs me as she cries before we went back to the Seireitei altogether. Everyone would be waiting happily and she would tell us who did all the terrible things to her. _I wish._ I could think of a million things that could have happened; every single thing I could think of would be much more happy then what actually happens.

She let tears fall from her eyes without shame before the white material covers everything except one eye. Momochi-san stands up behind her, almost as though obeying her. She raised her sword up, glinting in the moonlight, shaking harder than I've ever seen her. She looks over at Ichimaru and before I can register what happens, he's pulling out his sword, calling out his shikai.

Everything goes in slow motion as his sword elongates. I let a hoarse yell fall from my lips as it strikes her and Momochi-san exactly on their saketsu **(binding chain)** and hakusui **(soul sleep)** at a diagonal. Slowly, they fall as their uniforms begin to turn white; Hinata-chan had a dreamy look in her eyes. Behind them, a senkaimon **(world penetration gate)** appears out of nowhere and as they both fall, the paper doors opens into a bright light that threatened to swallow them up. I reach my hand out, quickly, for her hand. For her warmth and her smile. For her happiness. For my happiness. For everything we had together. Our fingers brush together for a moment before she falls with Momochi-san into the vast whiteness, the unknown.

I stay frozen in that way for hours, days, years almost, before I slump down to my knees and Hinata-chan's sword lands on the ground. I look at it. I look at the blood on the floor. I look at my hands where I had almost gotten her. I look back and forth before I cannot take it anymore and let tears fall from my eyes.

"What?" I whisper softly. "Why?" I mutter nonsense to myself. There was no way that this was true. There was _no_ way that Hinata-chan was gone. She would pop up in a few minutes now, smiling and saying, with a wink, "Gotcha!" There was no _way_ that she died. I know it. I mutter these things to myself before reality suddenly comes crashing down. She was gone. Her constant smiles. Her soft laughter. Her contagious happiness. Her soft, knowing eyes. Her teasing, motherly nature. Everything. Gone.

* * *

**Done!~ I hope it wasn't too much of a disappointment. Trust me when I say that there is another chapter. This is just a twist in the plot! Well, part of it anyways. **


	21. Introducing Kurosaki, Kuchiki, & Hikari

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. **

**IMPORTANT NOTE: This is 42 years into the future, where the story really begins. This is also my first time actually basing it on an actual plotline so forgive me if some things are different. **

**My biggest question is whether I should use the anime or manga plotline. I'm probably going to use the manga in some parts and some anime parts; any objections?**

**I'm going to be skipping around a lot. Don't be too surprised. I apologize for any who want to slap me upside the head or murder me or anything in between.

* * *

**

~No One's PoV~

"What th' h311's wrong wit' ya?" one of the guys out of a group of five slurred out though he was not drunk. One of the guys was lying on the floor while two were crouched down, watching him. The last two were standing though only one was speaking. A few skateboards lay on the floor long forgotten. "Ya just strike Yama-bro down and tell us t' get outta the way?" He looked at the bright-haired teenager he was facing who stayed silent. **(Watch Bleach episode 1 for their clothes. In my opinion, they play too small of a part for me to write about it.)**

"Say somethin' will ya? Ya little-" He ran to punch the teen before the teen raised a foot and slammed it into his face. The guy fell down as the teen stomped on his back. The teen was dressed in a high school uniform for winter, undoubtedly for Karakura High School.

"No way!" The other guy standing breathed out. "Toshi-bro's getting…" he trailed off. The two guys on the floor stood up, slightly shaking.

"This is bad," said one.

"That's so messed up," the other added.

"Urusai!" the teen yelled. His brown eyes flashed as he stomped on "Toshi-bro's" head one last time before pointing behind him. "All of you look over there!" He was referring to a small bottle full of water and some flowers. It was knocked over, the white flowers looking slightly crushed and the water spilling out. "Question 1. What would that be?" the teen asked. "You, at the left."

The guy on the left looked to his left desperately before turning back and answering hesitantly, "Ano…flowers for the kid who died here recently?"

"Absolutely right!" the teen yelled while giving the guy a kick in the face. The other two stared horrified as their "bro" was kicked down. This teen was Kurosaki Ichigo, a freshman.

"Mit-bro," one of them muttered.

"Now, question two," Ichigo straightened up. "Why would it be on its side?" Ichigo was fifteen and though he was younger than these jerks, he was kicking their butts.

"Well…I mean…we might have knocked it over while we were skateboarding," one of them said cautiously.

The two were suddenly landing face-first into the dirt as Ichigo yelled, "I dare you to do it again! I'll make it so that people will have to leave flowers for you!" The group of "bros" left screaming for forgiveness. Ichigo waited a few seconds before sighing. "If I scared them that badly, they probably won't come back here again." He turned to face the flowers and the ghost of a small girl. "I'll bring some more flowers for you tomorrow, 'k?"

"Thank you for chasing them away. I can rest peacefully now, mister," the ghost girl said. Ichigo picked up the vase as a girl came fast walking up.

"No problem. Hurry and go to heaven," Ichigo said as the girl caught up. She waved to the ghost girl before catching Ichigo's arm.

"Couldn't you have waited? I wanted to beat those jerks' butts too," she complained.

"Whatever," he said. "Let's go. It's dinnertime." The girl nodded. She had black hair and indigo eyes. She wore a white knee-length skirt and an indigo shirt. She only reached up to Ichigo's shoulders with the help of her white heels, and she hung a small, white purse on her elbow. On her wrist sparkled a bracelet of the four elements. Her name was Hikari. Junseiki Hikari.

* * *

**Oh no! Hikari? As in the roommate of Hinata who died, for those of you who needed reminding, that Hikari? Tune in next time. **

**Just kidding. Did I trick you? This is too short to be a chapter in my standards. Now this is a quiz for my readers. Who owns the bracelet with the four elements? **

**The answer is NOT Hikari by the way. P.S. My Japanese still isn't perfect.

* * *

**

The blue sign on the large house read "Internal Pediatrics Kurosaki Clinic." It was a two-story yellow house with a balcony and black, metal gate. It had a green roof, which gave it a home-like appearance. Hikari and Ichigo entered the gate of the house in silent peace.

"Tadaima **(I'm home)**," Ichigo and Hikari said.

"You're late!" the voice of Ichigo's father rang out as he kicked Ichigo.

"Now Isshin-san. It isn't nice to kick your own son!" Hikari reprimanded.

"You know that dinner at this house is seven o'clock sharp!" Kurosaki Isshin yelled at Ichigo, ignoring Hikari completely.

"Is this how you greet the son who went out of his way to help a ghost on his way home?" Ichigo growled, glaring at Isshin while pushing his face close.

"I don't want to hear it!" Isshin yelled, pushing his face closer. "I don't care what the reason is; those who-" He was cut off as Hikari slammed the duo's heads together.

"Eat," she ordered, dropping them down in their seats.

"Thank you, Hi-nee," one of the twins said. **("Hi" is pronounced "HEE" like in Hikari or Hinata.)** She had brown hair clipped back with a red barrette shaped like a tomato and bright, brown eyes. This was Kurosaki Yuzu, fraternal twin of Kurosaki Karin who sat in front of her with short, black hair and bored, brown eyes. The dinner was mostly uneventful, despite the common arguing between the father and son. Hikari stared on at their argument, talking to Karin and Yuzu all the while. Abruptly, Ichigo stood up in a huff and left.

"Thank you for the meal," Hikari said, standing up. "I must get home now. I'll see you in the morning, Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan." They nodded. Hikari was Yuzu and Karin's (middle school) teacher. She taught fairly and did a good job at that.

"Isshin-san, try not to mess with your son so much, by the way. He is going through a lot," Hikari said to him before closing the door behind herself. She walked out of the gate and stood in the front of the house, looking at the building. She paused, her eyes widening before rushing to the house next door, her house. A few seconds later, she was retching in a small bathroom, the door halfway open.

* * *

_Later…_

* * *

"My name isn't 'Shinigami.' It's Kuchiki Rukia," the black-haired, purple-eyed girl introduced.

"I'm Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo," Ichigo told her before plunging her sword into himself. As his reiatsu flared and Rukia stared in wonder, a shadowed figure watched from a second-story window of Hikari's house. The streetlight illuminates her white eyes.

The house was a sky blue color with a large variety of flowers around it. The windows were white rectangles with bright yellow curtains and dark blue stars. There was a white, wooden fence surrounding it and the roof was a dark purple, which gave it a warm feeling. However, under the terrible circumstances where a Hollow was attacking nearby, it almost seemed to be weeping or looking on sadly.

As Ichigo destroyed the Hollow, the figure, clearly a woman, let go of the curtain and slumped against the wall, her dark hair blending in with the shadows. The figure slid down until she was sitting on the ground and let tears fall from her eyes. Another figure found her, also a woman. "What happened?" the new person asks; it was Hikari.

"Of all people," the one crying chokes out. Hikari strides across the room and draws the curtain before stepping back, letting the curtain fall. Her own tears start falling.

"Oh my god," she breathes.

"Yeah," the one crying says. That is all she can get out before the two of them cry together.

* * *

_A few days later…_**(I know I'm skipping around. I apologize sincerely. I also know that the plotline isn't exact, so bear with me please.)

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**

As Ichigo and Rukia were chasing around the modified soul, Hikari walked into Ichigo's classroom during the lunch break and whistled. Today, Hikari was wearing a baby blue skirt that reached her ankles with a short-sleeved white shirt with a cherry in the center. All conversation ceased. Usually when she came, she came for an important reason.

"Oh. Hikari-chan," Arisawa Tatsuki stated with Inoue Orihime on her tail. They were both dressed in the girl uniform of the school, but were different in aura. Orihime had a soft, somewhat ditsy personality with her long, orange hair and soft brown eyes. She was close to Tatsuki and depended on her to a point. Tatsuki didn't mind at all. Tatsuki was more of a tomboy, with her short, spiky, black hair and brown eyes. She wasn't afraid to injure anyone who even thought of harming Orihime in any way.

"Suki-chan. Hime-chan," she greeted shortly, surveying the classroom with her eyes. She took in the open window and destroyed/rearranged desks. "That guy," she said finally.

"Guy?" Tatsuki questioned.

"Someone came here, pretending to be Ichi-kun. He really looked like him, but he can't fool me. There is no way Ichi-kun would act like that," she explained. She looked at the rest of the class who was staring at her. "That guy…" she trailed off, emitting a murderous aura, leaving after. The students returned to their conversations, believing her automatically. She was known for telling the truth, no matter how strange it was. They also felt pity for the poor imposter. Hikari was going to murder him.

* * *

_Later in the day…_

* * *

The sun painted the sky a mix of oranges and pinks, the sunset for the near end of a long day. It was broken by the traffic and shouts of students yelling at their friends. All in all, it was a normal day.

"Ichi-kun!~ I'm coming up!" the voice of Hikari came up to Ichigo's second story window. Ichigo, still in his school uniform, hastily shoved the kaizo konpaku into the closet with Rukia, slamming the door just as Hikari flipped in through his window, landing on her feet on his bed. A pair of white sneakers were in her hands. She turned to him and his position, as his hands were still on the door handle. He turned around awkwardly.

"Hey Hikari. What brought you here today?" he asked, pulling up his chair. "Yuzu and Karin told me you've been sick for a while. You ok?"

"Hey Ichi-kun," she greeted, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She shoved her sneakers on her feet, as though jumping in through the window was normal. It was, for her anyways. Her outfit today consisted of a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt with a pink flower in the center. Her bracelet was still on her wrist.

"Well, I was sick. I'm over it now though. What brought me here?" She sat there for a little while, looking into space. "I'll tell you later, after dinner," she said finally. "Oh that's right! It's time for dinner. Let's go, Ichi-kun." She got up abruptly, pulling Ichigo by the ear. "Don't tell me you're skipping either. I'm not having any of it!" she declared.

"Itai. I get it. Itai. Let go of me now, will you?" Ichigo asked, scowling while walking backwards.

The door closed, a distant, "Sure," came from Hikari, followed by the sound of them walking down the hall and stairs. The sound of a large _Stomp!_ came from the closet as Rukia opened the closet door and repeatedly stepped on the stuffed lion.

"Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai. Itai," he yelped with each injury.

* * *

_After dinner…

* * *

_

"Don't worry. Yuzu-chan. Karin-chan. I'm in tiptop shape now!" Hikari assured them. "I need to talk to Ichi-kun, 'k? Don't worry." Hikari, carrying a plate of food, was walking behind Ichigo to his room. Ichigo shut the door behind them, sitting himself down on the chair.

"Ok. I know you didn't bring me up here for some pathetic reason. What do you want?" Ichigo questioned. Hikari rolled her indigo eyes, knowing full well that it was true. She dropped the plate onto his desk **(not literally)** and sat down on the edge of his bed like usual, pausing for a moment.

"Why are you hiding ghosts in your closet?" she asked suddenly.

* * *

**That's the end! Tell me what you think, ok?**

**Just kidding! Did I trick you this time? Anyways, onwards!

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**

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Ichigo tried to cover up. "Hi-Hiding a ghost? It's not like anyone can see them! Wh-What did you eat?" Hikari stopped him by suddenly standing up and opening his closet where a small lion fell down, unable to suppress his cry of pain. Hikari picked him up by the ear, holding him out at arms-distance as the kaizo konpaku tried to edge closer to Hikari's…chest. Rukia climbed down from the closet, dressed in Yuzu's yellow and red-checkered pajamas.

"I don't get how this ghost is in a stuffed toy," Hikari commented.

"How do you know about me? And him?" Rukia asked.

"You pick these kinds of things up when you've been around as long as I have," Hikari said. She threw the stuffed lion on the floor, stomping on its head. She gave a final blow, kicking the doll under the bed. She turned to look at Rukia again, smiling. "By the way, my name is Hikari. Junseiki Hikari. Yoroshiku. **(Nice to meet you.)**" Rukia pointed a look at Ichigo.

"Since when has your neighbor been able to see ghosts?" she questioned. "No wait, why didn't you tell me that? I leap out of your room everyday!" Rukia slowly advanced on Ichigo, a deadly look in her eyes.

~Rukia's PoV~

"Now don't be upset. I've been sick for the past few days so of course Ichigo would have no reason to bring me up," Hikari reprimanded me. _She sounded like…her._ I looked the other way, trying to sort it out. It had been a while since someone had talked to me like that.

Hikari leapt up onto Ichigo's windowsill.

"I'll be back later, 'k? Ichi-kun, don't be afraid to ask me for anything and tell Yuzu-chan and Karin-chan I'll see them later." With that said, Hikari jumped out the window, effectively ending all conversation.

"Ja ne!" Ichigo called out to her, shutting the window behind her. He sighed as we turned in for the night, reminding me that the human world was different and yet the same, from the Soul Society.

On June 17, the day Ichigo's Okaa-san died, the only sign Hikari had also been there was a giant sunflower laid on her grave as well as a small plate of onigiri. The incense was burning out, showing she had been there much earlier. There were also a few tears on the ground along with a fingerprint right next to the name, showing she had cried while leaning on the grave. _What a depressing time…_

~No One's PoV~

A shadow passed over a building as a Hollow disintegrated. A small figure of a girl ran swiftly, moving from one Hollow to the next, leaving little trace that she had been there. She paused as a Menos Grande appeared from the sky, running quickly towards it. At the top of a building, she abruptly stopped. She ducked, trying to avoid being caught by a certain bright-haired Shinigami next to a Quincy. She paused before heading off in the other direction, deciding to take care of the lesser Hollows instead.

The next day, Hikari invited Rukia and Ichigo over for dinner, a simple dinner of spaghetti with various side dishes.

"So anything new happen? Did you see that large masked thing yesterday?" Hikari asked while serving the hot dish.

The door of her house opened up to an antechamber to put shoes in. In front of it was a living room with two red couches facing each other with a glass table in the center on a soft, cream-colored carpet taking up a third of the room, close to the door. Another quarter on the front left was occupied by a black grand piano and a blue cello case was seen clearly beside it. A music stand was situated in front of the cello case. The rest was left empty, for a path or room. A golden oak bookcase was pushed against the corner with a simple, neat, potted plant in another next to a large window allowed light to fall through. To the right, stairs of the same carpet were seen next to a lavender door, most likely a closet. A doorway in the white wall in the front led to a large room with the dining room filling half of it, with a large, maple table surrounded by 10 matching chairs (four on each side and one on each end) on dark mahogany flooring under an elegant chandelier. The other half was a large kitchen with the works: the large refrigerator, sink, microwave, rich brown pantries, everything. The floor for the kitchen was made up of tiles ranging from white to a dark blue.

"That…Don't worry about it. You always worry about things too much. It's nothing," Ichigo said without looking up. He stuck his fork into his meal a little harder than necessary.

"Ichi-kun!" she whined. She sighed, turning to Rukia. "Oi Seishin **(Spirit)**-chan. Ichi-kun is being mean," Hikari whined to the young Shinigami. Rukia bit her lip. _She was just like…her._

"It's Kuchiki Rukia," Rukia finally said. "Who are you exactly?"

"My name is Junseiki Hikari. Don't tell me you already forgot," Hikari joked. "I'm Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan's teacher. I get sick really easily though because of my weak immune system. I've got ischemic heart disease. That's why you'll see me around a lot of the time. I'm always somewhere around town, running, walking, laughing. It's very interesting though. I've never met a tamashi **(soul)** that needs to eat." Rukia paused suddenly, thinking of a lie to say.

"Whatever. There could be stranger things," Hikari waved off. She turned the conversation to their grades, reprimanding Ichigo for constantly leaving class nowadays.

"Ichi-kun! I can't keep on making excuses to the teacher forever!" Hikari scolded. "You're lucky at how much influence I have. You're excused for this semester, but the next semester, you can't miss out so much! Otherwise, you'll have to have Saturday school with me, 'k?" Ichigo sighed.

"Hai. Let it go now," Ichigo waved off. Hikari took their plates to the sink. She began coughing hoarsely.

"Ichi-kun," she said between coughs. "Get a good night's rest. I definitely need it. You too, Rukia-chan."

"Hikari! You ok?" he asked concerned. She rolled her eyes at him, pulling out a tinted jar full of pills.

"It's just another one of my attacks," she said in between coughs.

"Good night," she said more firmly. Hesitantly, Ichigo and Rukia leave, bidding their farewells.

"Ja ne," Hikari dismissed, swallowing a pill whole.

"You know, those aren't good for you," a deep voice called out. Hikari rolled her eyes. She turned to the masked man, putting the jar back.

"I know," she said softly. A puff of smoke appeared as Hikari was replaced with a much shorter girl with much lighter eyes. "I've got no choice though. You know that…Za-kun." The tall man grunted.

"I know. Are you sure you want to be the one? I mean, we can still-"

"Urusai," the girl interrupted. "You know this has the highest success rate. I'm not about to back out just because of a little pain. So how is she? You know, Hikari?"

"She's good. Come on. Let's get you in bed. You have a lot of acting to do. They're coming to get her soon," 'Za-kun' commented.

"No," the girl declined. "I'm going to-Eep!" She was interrupted as 'Za-kun hoisted her up in his arms.

"Bed," he said firmly. She pouted.

"Fine." As he entered a room on the second floor and placed her on the bed, he pulled the quilt over her. He rolled his eyes.

"Baka," he muttered. "You're going to kill yourself from overexertion." The girl was already sound asleep.

* * *

**The plot thickens! Who is the Hikari to the Kurosaki family? Is she the same Hikari from earlier? How much power does Hikari hold over the town? Why are there two strangers (?) in her home? Find out next time! Review please!~**

**Happy (late) birthday Toshiro! Happy (early) birthday Hinata! Merry Christmas!**


	22. Entering the Seireitei

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. For those of you who were really confused about Hikari's house, there's going to be something at the end. I know I'm rushing the story, please forgive me!**

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~Ichigo's PoV~

"No way in h311!" I declared. "Hikari, you are not going." Hikari stood in front of me, in spirit form. She was wearing the same Shinigami uniform I was and had a sword on her back from her left shoulder to her right hip. Her waist-length hair was up in a ponytail and the same bracelet was still on her wrist. She crossed her arms.

"Ichi-kun. You are not going to stop me. It's been forever since I've been in the Seireitei. You can not leave me behind," Hikari said firmly. I looked at geta-boshi **(sandal-hat; referring to Kisuke Urahara)** and quickly he shook his head.

"No, I cannot hold her back for you," he answered. I growled. She pulled me by the ear into another room, shutting the door.

~No One's PoV~

There was a loud slap and some yelling and muttering before it was quiet. A few seconds later, the two came out, one grinning, the other scowling.

They were in the large underground training area under the shop in front of the Senkaimon. Yoruichi had just talked to the group about getting through the gate when Hikari had come out of nowhere, clapping.

"Let's go!~" Hikari had said. "I'm tired of all the pep talk. I'm fired up!" Thus, the argument had started.

~Ichigo's PoV~

"Please jump in together," geta-boshi had asked. So we did. _Hikari…

* * *

_

_Flashback…_

* * *

As soon as she slammed the door, she slammed her hand down on a nearby table.

"Ichi-kun," she had said. "You can't stop me. This is too important!"

"I don't care! Go back home! This is too-"

"Ichi-kun," she said firmly. "I have to go. I…I haven't seen my family in forever." Her eyes softened. "I miss them."

"…Fine," I answered. She smiled.

"Arigato Ichi-kun," she had beamed.

* * *

_End of Flashback…

* * *

_

_ How come when you asked, you had eyes of such sadness?_

Of course, we all just had to come when the giant street-sweeping thing had. Luckily, we were all able to get out in one piece, except for Uryu's cape. As soon as we landed, Hikari stood up and headed the opposite direction from the Seireitei.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Family," she murmured. "I'll meet up with you guys later. Don't get into too much trouble and don't die." It would be later that we would meet up again.

~Uryu's PoV~

"Uryu!" I heard someone hiss. I immediately drew my bow. Inoue and I stood against a wall in the Shinigami uniforms.

"Put that down!" I heard the same person whisper. I didn't comply, my eyes sharply scanning around for the person. A few seconds later, an upside down head hung down from the wall, hair like a curtain. It was Hikari. I reluctantly withdrew my bow. She jumped down, taking our appearances in. She smiled.

"Nice. You'll blend in well. What squad are you guys going to say you're from?" she asked.

"11th," Inoue and I say at the same time. She pulls at my top, making me blush.

"Wh-What are you doing?" I hiss. She shows me a flower emblem.

"This is the 12th division's symbol. Say you two are from the 12th division," she tells us, ignoring my burning face. Something occurs to me.

"What squad are you? Wait, how'd you get in here? We had to go through by a bomb," I tell her. She winks.

"You'll find out later," she says, walking away. "Come on." We come across an old storage room and decided to rest for the night.

~Orihime's PoV~

"I'll take first watch. You two get some sleep," Hikari-chan had announced. She sat by the door, under the window. Ishida-kun was about to retort before Hikari-chan looked at him.

"I said I'd take the first watch," she said more firmly. He sighed before leaning on some crates. She turned to me.

"You're not going to sleep?" she asked. I gave her a weak smile.

"I'm going to heal Tsubaki. He got injured in a fight earlier," I replied. She gazed intently at me before sighing. Tsubaki covered the bottom half of his face with his scarf and had a black outfit with a red stripe.

"Alright. You better get some sleep afterwards, ok? I'll keep a good watch. She came and sat by Ishida-kun, watching.

"It'll be ok, Inoue-san. Your Shun Shun Rikka **(Six Flowers of the Hibiscus Shield/Six Princess Shielding Flowers)** has incredible powers," Ishida-kun assured.

"That is correct. We need you to be strong," Hinagiku stated. He was a skinny male with a purple outfit and an eye patch. "Doubt influences our powers, Orihime-san."

"Let's practice some more!" Lily suggested enthusiastically. She had pink hair and wore goggles. Her outfit was bright and cheery, much like her personality. "That way, you can just call us out without the magic words!"

"If you do, we will be able to protect you more promptly," Baigon offered. He was a muscular spirit who had a white flowered mask on the bottom half of his face.

"Ano…hai," I said hesitantly. Tsubaki slowly opened his eyes and turned to me. He motioned for me to get closer.

"Nani?" I asked urgently.

"Just wait a little longer. I'll get better soon," he promised. I gave a soft smile.

"Un!"

* * *

_Later…_

* * *

"Let's go," Ishida-kun urged. Hikari-chan nodded. We opened the door and looked to make sure no one was there before running out. Hikari-chan closed the door behind us swiftly and together we ran quickly.

"Hey you three!" a loud voice rang out. It was a Shinigami with a sake bottle in his hand. He had somewhat long hair slicked back and a mustache on his lip. "What squad are you guys?"

"E-Ele…" I tried to say.

"Eleventh," Ishida-kun said firmly. He walked towards us. I looked over at Hikari-chan who was giving us a look. _Oh no! We were supposed to say twelfth!_

"That's odd. I'm in the eleventh squad too, but I've never heard of any boneheads in the combat-specialist eleventh squad who walk around without their zanpakuto," he said. He walked closer with each word, and close up, it was obvious he had been drinking. The guy came up to me, who put a hand on my top. Hikari-chan slapped his hand away.

"Don't you know better than to just reach for a woman's chest? Where were you brought up?" Hikari-chan reprimanded him. "Seriously!" He looked over her. He grumbled and reached over to Ichida-kun, checking the symbol.

"This is a patch from the twelfth division, not eleventh. Not that _you_ guys would know. Who are you guys?" he questioned. Ishida-kun reached for his bow as Hikari-chan reached for her sword before a large branch hit him on the head. There were several guys, all of which were apparently in the twelfth division.

"Arigato!" I thanked.

"No problem!" he waved off. "We're comrades of the twelfth division. We have to help each other."

"Geez! He's drunk. Guys at the eleventh division look for almost any excuse to fight with us. When you're in a hurry, leaving your zanpakuto around a few times is no surprise!" another said. Ishida-kun and Hikari-chan stood on two opposite sides of the crowd.

"Here, let's go to the barracks now," they offered. I agreed, looking over at the two. All of a sudden, Ishida-kun's eyes widened as he leapt up.

"Inoue-san! Matte!" he yelled. Just then, a loud explosion rang out. I leapt for the eleventh division guy as I put up my Shun Shun Rikka with Ishida-kun standing in front of me. As the smoke cleared, I saw what had happened. At the end of the street stood a man and a woman. The man was literally white and black and had his sword tucked between his legs. He wore a normal Shinigami uniform, with a white haori over it. The number was not visible from here. He wore a white hat that was odd in shape and had something in his hand. The woman was wearing the uniform except with a short skirt. She braided her dark hair back and had a band on her arm.

"Taicho!" the voice of one of the men cried out. "This isn't what we talked about! You said to just bring them to the barracks! Taicho!"

"Huh?" the strange man said. "A shield? No, two shields?"

"Arigato Ishida-kun. If you hadn't yelled out like that, I…" I trailed off.

"Iie. It's because of all the practice you were doing," Ishida-kun said.

"What about the other people?" I asked Ishida-kun. He paused.

"I think they are ok. It seems they escaped most of the damage because of Junseiki-san," he answered. I looked over at Hikari-chan. Fire curled around her arms in rings as she stood in front of the men. She raised her arms, throwing them off to the side as the flames extinguished. She turned to us.

"Good job Hime-chan." My shield broke.

"Oh. What interesting techniques," he said. "Are those shields a technique from the women?" he asked Ishida-kun.

"We have no need to respond," Ishida-kun defended.

"It's so interesting! I've never seen anything quite like them. How would you ladies like to work as my research subjects?" Ishida-kun glared.

"I told you. We have no need to answer you!" he retorted sharply. The man ignored Ishida-kun and continued talking to us, Hikari-chan and me.

"If you come with me, I won't treat you badly. Rest assured, I'm gentle with females. I'll welcome you two with the best conditions. I'll limit drug administrations to eight times a day and mechanical experiments to five hours a day," he offered. He walked closer for every word. "You will eat with your own mouth and wear clothes when you sleep. I'll even do my best to refrain from body altercations that carry the risk of death. How about it? I've never offered this to any subject before."

Suddenly, Ishida-kun stood a little bit away from him, bow drawn and ready to fire.

"Oh. A Quincy?" he asked. "What a rare breed. I wonder how long it's been since I've last seen a live specimen. However…I am sorry to say I have already finished researching your kind. I have no interest in you."

"Finished researching?" Ishida-kun breathed out. "What do you mean? Who are you?"

"What? You would enter enemy territory without investigating first? How careless. At least you should remember the top 13," he paused, letting his reiatsu swirl over the place. "The twelfth division taicho and second head of the Technological Development Bureau Chief, Kurotsuchi Mayuri. You won't have to remember that though. You won't be able to remember anything soon." I stood up cautiously as did the twelfth division and eleventh division men.

"Inoue-san! Junseiki-san! Run away! Now!" Ishida-kun urged.

"No way! We'll fight too!" I shouted.

"Hey! You eleventh division and twelfth division guys! Run away with them! Force them if you have to!" Ishida-kun yelled.

"S-S-S-S-Screw you! Why should I?" the eleventh division guy spoke up. Hikari-chan turned to face him.

"You'll die if you don't. An arrow, a sword, the crossfire. Any of those could be your end. Take her. If I find out something happened, it's on your head," she warned, giving him a glare that could make fire seem cold. Ishida-kun turned to face the twelfth division guys.

"You guys owe Junseiki-san your lives! Go now!" he ordered. They shook, but grabbed Hikari-chan by the elbow.

"C-Come on!" they urged her. She looked at them, and then at the man and woman.

"Fine," she said calmly. "Ishida-kun," she addressed him. "I just thought you might want to know. This man bribed Shinigami to slack off on their duty so that he could experiment on the souls of the Quincy. One of them, you might know well." She turned back to us.

"Let's go." The twelfth division guys ran off with Hikari-chan in tow. She paused, turning back to the eleventh division guy and me. "Come on," she urged. I shook my head.

"We have to help Ishida-kun!" I explained. She gave me a soft look.

"Hime-chan…Sumimasen. This is Ishida-kun's fight. That man killed someone important to Ishida-kun," she came up to me and hugged me. There was a pinch on my neck before everything went black.

~No One's PoV~

"Let's go!" Hikari ordered the men. She carried Orihime on her back, trusting Uryu to beat the taicho. _You better not lose Ishida-kun! I'll kick your butt if you do!_

**(For those of you curious about everyone else, Yoruichi had already been teaching Ichigo to unlock his bankai and Sado was already in a cell with Ganju.)**

~Hikari's PoV~

"You! Twelfth division guys! You guys can leave here. This is the closest point to your barracks," I ordered.

"Matte. How'd you know?" one asked. I gave a wry smile.

"I used to be a Shinigami. It doesn't seem like the structure has changed overall. There are a few walls that we were rebuilt, without a doubt from the eleventh division taicho, but other than that, nothing has changed," I answered.

"Can I…come with you guys?" another spoke up.

"Yeah! I want to join in too!" a third added. I sighed, handing Hime-chan to the eleventh division guy with a warning look. I reached over to the nearest member and kissed his temple.

"Sleep," I muttered. He fell right away. The others looked at me surprised. Before they could react, I knocked out another one with the same technique before the rest stood readily to flee at a moment's notice. I sighed, scratching the back of my neck. I caught one and before he hit the floor, the rest had been knocked out as well.

"Let's go," I ordered the man. "What's your name anyways?"

"M-My name is Aramaki Makizo! I'm the tenth seat," he announced proudly.

"Tenth seat?" I mused. "Whatever. You can leave now. If you give me trouble, I'll knock you out too." He stepped back before running off. I sighed before walking towards Sokyoku Hill.

~No One's PoV~

The room was dark though light of the early morning made the streets bright. The room was much like all other rooms of taicho. The room was a rectangle with the shorter sides to the left and right painted white. Bookshelves lined the left wall with a large desk and large chair in front of it. There was a vase of flowers, which were still very much alive on the top of the desk along with several cups with pens and such. To the right, there was a plant in one corner along with two large black couches and a glass table between the two, piled with several magazines, which was near the center of the room. The biggest difference, however, was the lack of windows on all sides. There was one large window on the wall opposite the door, but it had been boarded up and covered with the illusion of rocks. No sunlight streamed through and the room seemed almost pure black.

The door slowly opened, letting light flood in. Hikari was there with Orihime on her back. She looked around the room before lights turned on. She shoved the door closed with her foot, careful not to jostle the girl on her back. She walked over to the couch, gently putting Orihime down. She stretched, walking towards the desk. She pulled out a piece of paper as though she had done it many times before and wrote something down with a nearby pen. As she left, her hand lingered on the door a few seconds longer, her facial expression cloudy.

~Orihime's PoV~

When I woke up, I was in a room I didn't know and Hikari-chan was nowhere to be found. I sat up quickly, looking around wildly. _What if Shinigami found her? Oh no! What if that creepy taicho found her and started experimenting on her?_

I stood up abruptly, tripping on nothing and hitting the table headfirst. I rubbed my aching forehead before I saw a small piece of paper with my name on it in big letters. I opened it cautiously.

_Dear Hime-chan,_

_It's Hikari. Don't worry. I'll be back soon. Stay here and try and stay quiet, 'k? The lights may go out, but don't be surprised. They should turn on soon enough after. Any-_

True to her word, the lights did turn off, bathing the room in darkness. Seconds passed and I froze until the lights turned back on. I began to read again.

_-ways, I know you will get bored, but there isn't much I can do at this second.. I'll be back soon with some help. Stay safe._

_Signed, Hikari_

I smiled. In the corner, there was a small chibi drawn to look like Hikari that was smiling and giving a thumbs-up. Hikari-chan is so considerate. I looked around the brightly lit room before I heard the door click open. I turned to it, a smile lighting my face.

"Ah, you're not Hikari-chan," I murmured. The person gazed at me calmly.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the man asked coldly.

* * *

**I know this is short, but I wanted to update for the last time this year! Happy New Years!**


	23. Meeting Old Friends

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I thank all who have followed this story sincerely. P.S. I know I forgot about the part of Hikari's house last chapter, so I'll add it onto the bottom of this chapter. (If I don't forget.)**

**Note: Toshiro and Matsumoto encounter the dead Central 46, but don't encounter Kira or Momo and end up going to the execution to try and sort things out. Momo still ends up meeting Aizen (and gets stabbed by him).**

**Definitions:**

**Ryoka: traveling evil(s)-used by Shinigami for invaders since nothing good can come from a ryoka**

**Kagemane no Jutsu: Shadow Imitation Technique (or Shadow Possession Jutsu)**

**Tanuki: a raccoon dog that Shukaku is (not a badger)**

**Hitai-ate: a forehead protector**

* * *

~Orihime's PoV~

The man had long chocolate-colored hair and had clear white eyes. He was tall, with a broad frame that towered over me at around 5½ feet. His forehead was covered by a black piece of cloth with a metal rectangle on it. There was something on it, but I could not tell what it was. He had a sword strapped to his waist that had a pure white scabbard with a tsuba shaped like an x. **(Think curse seal's center mark.)** The hilt was covered with cloth that was the same color as his hair, making a pattern of diamonds and had a small plain pouch next to it. He was wearing the black kimono all other Shinigami had been wearing with a white hem and around his neck was a black string necklace with a small wooden circle where an intricate pattern of lightly carved markings were, looking much like wind.

"I asked you who you were," he repeated calmly.

"Ah!" I realized that I had spaced out before I blinked a few times fast. He gave me a glare that made ice seem like fire.

"I don't like to repeat myself. I have never seen you around before. A ryoka, I presume," he stated. At that moment, a foot landed on the back of his head as the person leapt over him and landed in front of me. It was Hikari-chan! She turned to face him and landed a good punch on his face, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor.

"I don't like it when people pick on my friends, Neji-niisan," she said in a cool voice. He stood up, a glare in his eyes. Hikari-chan then charged at him, aiming another kick at him. He back-flipped several times, effectively leaving the room. She also back-flipped, landing in front of me.

"Get on," she said, her back towards me. Her voice left no room for arguments so I quickly got on her back. She hooked her arms around me so I wouldn't fall and ran out of the room as the lights turned off. By then, the man, Neji, had started charging, a palm ready to strike her. She leapt up, stepping on his head and landing him on the floor, knocking him out, before running without looking back. As we passed by a tree, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, and Ganju-kun jumped down and ran with us. We were running along the large cliff, where we had learned was where Rukia-chan was to be executed.

"We're going to run straight to the place where she's being executed. I know that you guys are mostly injured, but there isn't much I can do about it now. You'll all have to hold on and run. I can carry each of you guys for part of the trip, so speak up if you're dead-tired," she stated. At that second, I knew that there was something different with her, a stronger conviction, as though she had finally succeeded in a goal she had longed for for years.

* * *

_Elsewhere…_

* * *

~No One's PoV~

"Well, would you look at that," Zaraki Kenpachi mused aloud. His whole upper body was bandaged, and Ayasegawa Yumichika and Madarame Ikkaku were also in the room with Kusajishi Yachiru standing next to him.

"What do you mean, taicho?" Ikkaku questioned.

"She's back," he said bloodthirstily. Yumichika and Ikkaku closed their eyes.

"My my. She is," Yumichika said. "Her reiatsu is as beautiful as ever. Oh, and she's with the ryoka." Zaraki Kenpachi stood up as Ikkaku opened the door.

"Let's go greet, Hina-chan!" Yachiru said enthusiastically.

"Yeah," Zaraki Kenpachi agreed, smirking.

Back to Orihime and the Gang…

They raced up to the top of Sokyoku Hill, just as Kuchiki Rukia is about to be executed. The 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, and 9th taicho and fukutaicho were present as well as the 4th division's fukutaicho and 6th division's taicho. As Rukia stated her last wish, the 4th division's taicho also appeared.

"How cruel. He has no intention of letting them live at all," Kotetsu Isane, the 4th division's fukutaicho, commented.

"It is not. It is mercy, letting her unavoidable death feel lighter with less doubt," Unohana Retsu, her taicho, said softly. A line of guards come and make a circle around Rukia. Just then, a foot came flying, aiming intently on one of the guard's heads. It hit its mark just as the rest of the guards realized something was wrong.

"Move out of the way! No one is executing her on my watch!" Junseiki Hikari cried out, throwing a punch at another guard. Yamamoto Genryuusai—the soutaicho—appeared in front of Hikari.

"None of this nonsense, child. Didn't you learn to follow the rules?" he questioned. Hikari took a step back before smirking.

"My bad. Demo, I make my own rules," she said before using shunpo to knock out the other guards. As the last guard fell onto the floor, all the taicho—excluding the 1st, 4th, and 8th-and all the fukutaicho attacked. Hikari quickly drew her sword and parried all of the simultaneous blows, causing them to fall back. The taicho narrowed their eyes. _There hadn't been someone this talented since…_

Hitsugaya Toshiro and Matsumoto Rangiku, the taicho and fukutaicho of the 10th division appeared next to the soutaicho, hands on the hilts of their zanpakuto.

"Yamamoto. There's something you must know abo-" He was cut off as a voice rang out.

"Oi! Hikari. I hope you didn't expect to take care of all the work. You've taught me better than that." Kurosaki Ichigo appeared next to Hikari, brandishing his large sword. A bandage was on his cheek and wrapped around his arm, but otherwise, he looked the same.

"I'm glad that you remembered, Ichi-kun. I'm afraid that you'll have to share the glory with me though. Sharing is caring," she joked lightly. "Why don't you take her and run for now? I'll catch up. It's been a while since I've last fought."

"I don't think so. This was my idea. You're not going to do all the hard work," he countered. Just then, Renji appeared. The two looked at each other. The fukutaicho—excluding the 10th division's fukutaicho—lunged for the two again, just as Hikari disappeared and appeared next to Rukia. Ichigo put down his sword and made quick work of the fukutaicho, all falling down on the floor soon after. Hikari, meanwhile, picked Rukia up before appearing next to Renji.

"Run as fast and as far as you can, got it?" Hikari ordered. Renji nodded, picked her up, and turned around just as several shadows landed in front of them. Hikari took one look at the group before groaning.

"So close," she muttered. "So close."

"You didn't think we would let you go so easily, did you? Mendosuke. After all, our friend protected this place with her life. We're going to do the same," a male voice floated by. In front of them were people from Konoha.

* * *

**The end! Just kidding! Keep the words typing! (P.S. Skip the next four paragraphs if you don't want a description.)

* * *

**

There was Nara Shikamaru who was kneeling down, just having completed a Kagemane no Jutsu on Hikari and Renji. He was wearing the normal Shinigami uniform with two brown stripes along the hem. On his waist hung a small weapons pouch and next to it was his zanpakuto. The tsuba was a rectangle with swirls inside and the hilt had earth brown diamonds weaved in it. The scabbard was a simple black though there were red swirls on the sides of it. His black hair was still up in the spiky ponytail from when he was alive and his narrow, brown eyes analytically considered what possible steps to take. Around his wrist was a bracelet with the same black string Hyuga Neji had been wearing before as well. The wooden charm on it was of a four-petal flower that had an intricate design of vines carved into it, which made half of the inside of the charm nothing but air. Another charm is on it, this time made of metal, formed into the Leaf's emblem.

Next to him stood Yamanaka Ino. Her shinigami uniform was still black, but was adjusted to her liking. The sleeves were short, nearly nonexistent, while the shirt had been made more form fitting and showed a bit of her stomach. The pants, which were normally a bit puffy, were replaced with a knee-length skirt with slits on the sides. Underneath, she wore white leggings and a sword was strapped around her waist with a violet sash next to a medical pouch. The sword was simple with a flower tsuba and purple diamonds on the hilt. The scabbard was also purple. Her blond hair still hung in her face, though not thickly as when she was alive. Her bright eyes sparkled, obviously for a reason that wouldn't benefit the captured duo. Around her neck was a necklace with a round charm. It was wood, like all others, and, like Neji's, had the pattern of a breeze carved out of it. Next to it is a metal emblem, identical to Shikamaru's.

Next to Sakura was Uzumaki Naruto. His whole outfit was bright orange and black and there was no doubt in Hikari's mind that people gave him h311 about it. His sleeves were black and so were his pants, but the main part of the shirt was orange as well as a large orange stripe on both sides of his pants. Around his forehead is a hitai-ate made of black cloth and around his neck is the First's necklace. Next to it is a wooden flower that is solid, unlike Shikamaru's, and the vines carved into Shikamaru's were also carved into Naruto's. The difference, however, was that the detail was lighter and did not cut completely through the wood, but just enough so that it was visible. On his waist was a sword with a bright orange hilt and a tsuba that was in the shape of an animal's head that could have been a fox or tanuki. The scabbard was a red that stood out, but was not a bright red. Next to it hung a weapons pouch, which obviously held many deadly weapons. His spiky, blond hair was a bit longer, making the resemblance to the Fourth uncanny. His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled at that second. He was proud, no doubt about it.

On the other side of Shikamaru stood Inuzuka Kiba with his faithful companion Akamaru by his side. His outfit was black like normal, except there was a white hem and a brown stripe above it. Around his forehead was also a hitai-ate with navy blue cloth. On his waist was a sword with a circle tsuba with a pattern of simple circles surrounding the blade. The hilt had white rectangles etched onto it and the scabbard was black. All around the scabbard were small little dots. Upon closer inspection, however, it was actually small insects. Next to the sword was a weapons pouch identical to the rest. Kiba's unruly brown locks and sharp eyes gave him a feral look. Akamaru nearly reached to Kiba's shoulder and around his neck was a necklace similar to Naruto's. The pattern, however, was different, slightly sharper. Wilder.

"Yama-jii. This has gotten really out of hand," commented Naruto. Shikamaru nodded, standing up and walking closer. Likewise, Hikari and Renji copied him, the shorter distance increasing the technique's power. Hikari bit her lip just as Renji cursed their luck.

"This is the problem of the Seireitei. You little ones do not need to get involved," Yamamoto-soutaicho announced. Kiba smirked.

"Didn't look like that to us," Kiba countered sharply. "Besides, Shikamaru here just told you our reason. Our friend gave her life for this place. We're just doing the same." Yamamoto-soutaicho opened his eyes a bit just as Hikari blinked quickly before smiling.

"Renji," Hikari stated. "In a few seconds, you'll be able to move. Be prepared." Renji looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"I hope you're sure, because if you aren't, we'll probably get our own heads cut off," he commented. She laughed. Everyone stared at her. What was she thinking, laughing in the midst of being caught.

"Have some faith, will you?" she commented. "Ichi-kun! Get your butt into high gear! We've got more company!" she warned just as Zaraki Kenpachi entered on the scene. He pulled out his sword, swinging it down with one hand while tearing his eye patch off with the other. His destination was towards Hikari and Renji who were currently a few feet

"Holy sh**!" Shikamaru cursed as he and the other jumped away. In shock, Renji and Rukia could only stand still while Hikari hurriedly drew her sword. Zaraki Kenpachi's and Hikari's blades met as sparks appeared and dust rose as many tried in vain to cover their faces from the large force. Insane laughter from Kenpachi rose up and the dust cleared as someone else was in Hikari's place.

"It's been a while since I've seen you." He added a malicious grin. "How have you been, gaki?" In the place of Hikari was Hinata Hyuga.

* * *

**Is that a big surprise? I hope so! Guess what? My birthday's coming up! Yay me! Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to inSANITYweT.R.U.S.T (for updating a lot), Tsukihime Nee (for chatting with me), and Kira Acumichi (who inspired me to get off my butt or is it on?). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it.**


	24. Betrayal

I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Wow! I got so many reviews and I'm so happy! Thanks to everyone and since I forgot it last chapter, I'm going to add it here on the top before I forget. (Yes, I'm very angry at myself.) It's about Hikari's house and a basic idea of the floor plan:

**Take a normal 8 ½ by 11 paper and fold it into 16 equal rectangles. **

**Landscape-wise, label the boxes from left to right numbers 1-16 in order. **

**Boxes 1, 2, 5, and 6 are the kitchen and dining room. (Draw a box.)**

**Boxes 9-11 and 13-15 is the opening room/living room.**

**Boxes 3, 4, and 7 are the stairs.**

**Box 16 is the place where shoes go and the first room you are in when entering the home.**

**Window from bottom of Boxes 13-15.**

**A bookcase is on bottom left-hand corner of 13 and a plant is on the lower right-hand corner of Box 15.**

**On Box 1 and 5, there is a large table and chairs around it. (The chandelier is above the table.)**

**Draw angular candy cane on Boxes 2 and 6 for the kitchen counter. (It's hard to describe.)**

**The piano and other musical items are on Boxes 10 and 14 with the back of the piano facing Box 6.**

**Boxes 11 and 15 have the couches and table.**

**Boxes 4, 8, and 12 include the closet. (The stairs go above the closet.)**

**It is not drawn to scale, but gives a basic idea.**

**For those of you who actually endured and read and tried this, thank you. Now onwards to the story!**

**Definitions:**

**Shintenshin no Jutsu-Mind Body Switch Technique (or Mind Transfer Jutsu)**

* * *

~No One's PoV~

The dust died down as the taicho and fukutaicho could only stare. The presumed-dead taicho was standing in front of them. Renji and Rukia were sitting on the floor, having fallen from the shock. The ground beneath Hyuga Hinata was crushed, spanning several meters. Kenpachi smiled as Yachiru stood from the sidelines.

Hinata had changed drastically. Once again, she was wearing the normal Shinigami uniform except it was pure white. Her once-long hair was now shorn short, only a little shorter than her hairstyle when she was alive. Her once-warm eyes were now cold though there was still emotion in its depths. Her swords—which had once numbered two—had changed. Only a sword was strapped to her waist. It was Iyashi no Hikari. The tsuba was still a multi-pointed star and the cloth was still indigo. However, the heart and star on the pure white scabbard had disappeared. The sword had also shortened, nearly reaching her ankles.

The round blade flashed in the light as Hinata and Kenpachi parried their swords and jumped back.

"Hi…Hina…chan?" Rukia breathed out. Hinata met eyes with her, a solemn expression painting her face.

"Gomennasai," she said finally. All activity had stopped. Everyone had put their swords down and stared. The presumed-dead taicho was still alive.

"Gomennasai," she repeated. She raised her sword up. "Demo I'm afraid I cannot regret my decisions." She swung her sword down swiftly towards Kenpachi who blocked. Kenpachi smirked.

"It's been a while since I've fought you. You're reiatsu is still sharp. Let's see if it's still sharp enough," he yelled as he slashed his sword upwards, causing her to jump back. Hinata turned to look back.

"Aizen-sama. Tosen-sama. Ichimaru-sama. You have returned," she said in a calm voice despite being locked in combat.

"Hinata-chan, good job. You have done everything perfectly," a cold voice rang out. Just then, the 3rd division's taicho and fukutaicho appeared with the 5th division's taicho. Tosen, Gin, and Aizen used shunpo and appeared behind Hinata, Renji, and Rukia. Hinata pulled a kunai out of her sleeve and threw it at Kenpachi just as she seemingly disappeared just as Renji was hurled at the feet of Ichigo, a faint footprint visible on his side.

"Aizen-sama," she said, appearing with a knee bowed to Aizen. "Please proceed with the plan. I shall hold everyone off."

"No need. The gate guardians will do so," he stated simply. Just as he said so, the three gate guardians dropped down, excluding Ikkanzaka Jidanbo who guarded the West gate. There was Hikonyuto who guarded the Southern gate with Danzomaru who guarded the Northern gate. Behind them was Kaiwan who guarded the Eastern gate. The people snapped out of whatever stupor they were in and reached for their zanpakuto, except for Yamamoto-soutaicho who opened his eyes.

"Hai," Hinata simply answered, not moving. Aizen reached to grab Rukia, just as Kukaku Shiba flew in on the shoulder of the remaining gate guardian, creating a large dust cloud and a crater.

"Yo!" she greeted. "I came by to check on you because I had too much d*mn free time." The duo, Kukaku and Jidanbo, quickly dispatched the gate guardians, taking advantage of their shock.

"This is odd. We're all really good friends. For them to not even blink when one of our own has been taken down…Aizen-taicho must have really done something terrible to them. Sorry guys…Please take a nap for now!" Jidanbo yelled. Meanwhile, Yoruichi appeared. Hinata blinked before drawing her sword.

"Shall I take them down now, Aizen-sama? This has become a nuisance," she stated. Aizen smiled calmly at her.

"I am sure that we'll be fine. After all," he said smirking. "They would have to move quickly if they want to save Hinamori-kun." Hitsugaya lunged at that.

"What do you mean?" he asked calmly as the temperature dropped.

"She should be dead in a few minutes. Can't you feel it? Her reiatsu is dying. Soon, it will be gone," he pointed out.

"B******!" Hitsugaya roared, leaping at Aizen, his shikai already released. There was a loud sound of two swords parrying each other. Hitsugaya made swift attacks on Aizen's unsheathed sword, fury pounding in his ears. Off to the side, Unohana and Isane jumped down from the cliff, obviously intent on saving the now-dying lieutenant. Surprisingly, no one made a move to stop the pair. Hinata stood up and watched to proceedings, as did the other two traitors. The other captains stared as did the ryoka, shocked. _What in the world was going on?_

Yoruichi ran towards Hinata and the two also parried swords for some time. The sound of footsteps drifted through the air, barely heard through the strikes between the swords. A rustle in the trees alerted the people on the cliff of a new visitor and out stepped an old woman carried in the arms of Hinata. The old woman was wearing her gray hair in a bun with a plain yellow kimono and orange obi. At the sight of her, Hitsugaya jumped back from Aizen who stepped back.

"Baa-chan! What do you think you're doing Hinata?" he asked angrily.

"Ah. You brought her," Hinata said to the new one. There was a brief nod before the Hinata fighting Yoruichi poofed into oblivion. Yoruichi coughed from the smoke, jumping back. Without a word, Shikamaru quickly ran through the hand signs that would trap her in a Kagemane no Jutsu. Only a few seconds too late came the shadow as the blood of the unfortunate old woman rained on the dusty ground. He stood up and controlling Hinata's actions, set the old woman's lifeless body down. Shikamaru slowly forced Hinata to walk until she was a few feet from Kiba, Ino, and Sakura.

"Who do you think you are? That killing intent can't be Hinata's. She's too nice. We won't let you ruin her memory," he stated. "Ino!" On cue, Ino ran through hand signs for a Shintenshin no Jutsu.

"That's why I'm doing this. Everyone thinks I'm 'too nice' when I'm really not," Hinata said with the slightest bit of contempt. Then, a huge sudden burst of reiatsu momentarily stopped everyone and blew Shikamaru away. A kunai soon followed him and landed in the forehead of Ino, who was standing next to where he fell.

"Ino!" Shikamaru and Sakura yelled. Shikamaru was torn between letting Hinata go and running to Ino or staying where he was now and trusting Sakura. Meanwhile, Sakura ran towards Ino, her hands glowing a pale green.

"Hinata!" yelled Kiba. "What the h311 do you think you're doing? That's Ino! It's Ino! D***it!"

"She's not allowed to enter my mind. No one is allowed to," Hinata said in a voice that bordered hysterical. "No one is allowed. No one!" She kept on repeating this hysterically, her eyes wide and her hands shaking. The wall between her and everyone else began to collapse. Aizen appeared beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. Automatically, she stopped shaking and the wall around her rose up again.

"Gomennasai Aizen-sama. Arigato. Let us hurry on our way," she said in a voice that neither suggested nor ordered.

"Let's," he answered and once again reached towards Rukia. He picked her up by the red collar on her neck and lifted her into the air. Without missing a beat, he pulled a small container from his jacket as the captains leapt up in the air for Aizen's blood. Hinata ran her hands through quick hand signs before clones popped out, several for each of them and one standing next to Aizen. It was a fight to see. One person verses so many different people.

Yamamoto-soutaicho fighting three Hinata's at once with his staff stood back-to-back with his fukutaicho, Sasakibe, who was fighting two of them. Soifon-taicho and Omaeda-fukutaicho were blurs fighting three clones each. Kuchiki-taicho was having a kido fight with two of them off to the side, battling with a calm face. Komamura-taicho and Iba-fukutaicho were versing two each; though their faces were calm, their moves were hesitant. Kyoraku-taicho was fighting three clones in shikai as Ise-fukutaicho fought two in kido. Hisagi-fukutaicho fought two, occasionally pulling off his an explosive surprise. Hitsugaya-taicho and Matsumoto-fukutaicho were fighting several as well thought the hesitance in their attacks could not be more obvious by the injuries painting their shinigami outfit. Zaraki-taicho was fighting three off at once, his eye patch off, abandoned somewhere, and Yachiru-fukutaicho off to the side cheering him on happily. Ikkaku and Yumichika were both versing one clone each, Ikkaku with a bloodthirsty smile and Yumichika smiling, "beautifully" as he would say. Ichigo was locked in heated combat with several that would not give him any breaks. Orihime and Sado were versing one each, both being held back with surprising ease. In the midst of it, little blurs would fly past and when they met, sparks would fly. Those blurs being Shikamaru, Kiba, and Sakura combating two each.

Aizen smiled without any warmth. "You're all wondering how this happened. You faces tell me that as you battle her. It's amazing how harsh she is now. It's amazing what betrayal can do to a person. Now, I've researched plenty about the Hogyoku and how to remove it. One way is to completely destroy the outer shell, namely you Kuchiki Rukia. That is why I ordered for you to be executed by the Sokyoku. The other way is to remove the Hogyoku from the container. After researching much of Urahara Kisuke's work, I finally found it." He clicked a small button on the top of the container.

"This…is that procedure." The ground split around the duo as Aizen's hand morphed and a hand not unlike Aizen's came out of the ground. Aizen ran his arm right through Rukia and pulled out the Hogyoku, ignoring the shocked look on her face. Ichigo let out a hoarse groan at the sight as the clone he was battling kicked him roughly on his chest.

"It's much smaller than I thought," he commented. The gaping hole in Rukia's chest closed up. "Now, I have no use for you anymore." Aizen lifted Rukia up by the collar. He looked towards Gin and Hinata. "Which one of you would like to do the honors?" Gin raised his hand up.

"Let me Aizen-taicho. Even tho' lil' Hina-chan here doesn't have any more feelin's for this place it'd be a shame ta' make 'er kill that girl," Gin said. Hinata threw a look at Gin that had some feeling. _Pure fury._

"Are you saying anything, Ichimaru-sama?" she asked. There was a piece of contempt in her voice that let you knew that the two would not get along at all.

"No no! It'd be a shame if you have ta' kill 'er is all I'm saying," Gin said, raising his hands up in mock surrender. Hinata continued to glare at Gin while Gin just stared back at her between his squinted eyes.

"Aizen-sama, let me do it," Hinata requested. He nodded as she drew her sword.

"Rukia!" Renji screamed. Hinata swung her sword through the air just as Rukia disappeared.

"Impossible," Hinata murmured. Her sword was down by her side and her open hand on her forehead. Her face scrunched up, running through the details the destroyed clone had given her. "He defeated my clone." Ichigo put Rukia down, a large gash on the side of his forehead and shoulder, telltale signs of the battle he faced. Aizen looked at them and walked over, reaching for his sword.

Dust rose as Yoruichi and Soifon-taicho appeared. Yoruichi held his sword in place while Soifon-taicho held her sword at his neck. All of Hinata's clones disappeared into oblivion. Byakuya and Ichigo were facing each other, both wounded as though they had just battled. Division E. members were poised to battle while all other taicho and fukutaicho were too.

"A nostalgic face!" Aizen declared, seeing Yoruichi.

"One move…" Yoruichi started.

"…and I lop off your head," Soifon finished.

"How…?" Hinata questioned.

"Hey gaki. There are some things in the world you don't know yet. Some of my moves just happen to be part of them," Yoruichi called out to her seriously, seeing the look on her face. "From the moment you sent out your clones, you, Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen have been in an illusion. We've been sorting out some of the fighting internally while you were busy vainly battling." Hinata blinked owlishly, her eyes glowing.

"I perfected everything," she murmured, her eyes darting around wildly. "It shouldn't have worked. I have perfected illusions so long ago. This…!" A sword appeared at her neck, Hitsugaya-taicho the wielder. Likewise, Matsumoto-fukutaicho held Gin at knifepoint. Tousen stood calmly though Shuuhei-fukutaicho held his sword at the back of his head.

"Don't worry Hinata-chan. We still have this," Aizen said, looking towards the Hogyoku in his hand.

Hinata visibly calmed down a little, closing her eyes.

Gin smiled simply while Tousen just breathed.

"It's time," Aizen and Hinata said in unison.

The sky cracked, hands reaching out. In the dark mark against the sky were hundreds of Menos.

"Im-Impossible!" muttered Ukitake-taicho.

"Gillian! Just how many…?" Omaeda-fukutaicho asked, leaving the question hanging.

Shuuhei-fukutaicho's eyes widened. "Th…There's something else in there!" True to his word, a red eye stared amidst the mass of Hollows.

A light fell from the sky, Aizen at the center. Yoruichi's eyes widened.

"Soifon! Get down!" she yelled, leaping off as well. Next was Tousen, where Shuuhei-fukutaicho staggered back. Gin was afterwards, Matsumoto-fukutaicho stumbling, barely catching herself. Last was Hinata, where Hitsugaya-taicho stepped back, visibly shocked.

"Too bad. It would have been nice if my capture had lasted longer. Goodbye Rangiku. Gomen ne," Gin said as he was taken up, the ground cracking under his feet.

"It was nice while it lasted," Hinata said under her breath, barely able to be heard by Hitsugaya-taicho. She turned to look at him straight in the eye and with a dead look she whispered, "Hate me." Iba-fukutaicho ran towards those covered in light, drawing his sword. He was stopped abruptly by Yamamoto-soutaicho's voice.

"Stop!" he yelled. "That light is known as 'Negation.' Menos use it to rescue comrades. The area inside the light becomes another dimension, an impenetrable one. Anyone who has fought Menos knows. The moment Aizen, Gin, Tosen, and…Hinata were out of our reach." Komamura-taicho smashed the ground underneath himself.

"Tosen! Hinata!" he roared. "Come back down here! Explain to me why you two became Shinigami! Tosen, wasn't it for your deceased friend? For your justice? Where is it now? Hinata, what happened to your will? For the friend who died for you!" Tosen furrowed his eyebrows and looked down towards where Komamura-taicho's voice came from.

"I have told you before. The path with the least bloodshed. That is the path of justice I seek," Tousen answered.

"…My will died many years ago. Now, I merely carry out Aizen-sama's will," Hinata said, barely heard. She looked at Ichigo who stood motionless.

"Ryoka-san. Be sure to take care of your neighbor when you get home. Perhaps she's still alive," Hinata said in an emotionless voice. Ichigo's grip on his sword tightened.

"What did you to her? What the h311 did you do to Hikari?" he asked. She simply looked away.

"To ally yourself with the Menos…What are you aiming for, Aizen?" asked Ukitake-taicho.

"I'm aiming to go higher," Aizen answered.

"Have you fallen in the process?" Ukitake questioned, his eyes burrowing into Aizen's.

"How arrogant. No one starts on the top of the world. No one." He took off his glasses.

"Not you." He brushed his hair back.

"Not me. Not even Kami." He stared down at Ukitake.

"The vacancy of the throne in heaven is over. From now on, I will be sitting on it," Aizen said, crushing his glasses, as though destroying the last physical piece of evidence that he had once been the kind Aizen-taicho everyone had loved.

"Goodbye Shinigami. Goodbye young ryoka. For a human, you were truly interesting," he said, before the he and his three companions joined the Menos. The Shinigami stared, watching as the sky closed and they disappeared.

* * *

**Okay, I deserve to be murdered. I've been gone forever, and the next thing you know, Hinata is the bad guy. I'd rather you guys don't murder me though. 'Cause then, you guys won't know what will happen next. I really am sorry though. (Blame homework!) So, review (please!) and (please!) don't murder me!**


	25. Picture, Station, Mark, Return, Secrets

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. I'm really thankful to all reviewers. They really just made my day. Hopefully the chapter isn't too big of a disappointment and if none of you have noticed, I've been putting up a few oneshots. Please check them out and give me your feedback! **

**Oh, and I hope that someone answers the poll on my profile. I'm genuinely interested in what many of you think of my ideas.**

**Well, the way I spell names is going to change, so please bear with me. It's just that sometimes I spell it one way and then spell it another way. Sorry!**

* * *

~No One's PoV~

"Ryoka," Soifon called out. Ichigo turned around.

"Ah, gomennasai. Kenpachi won't stop hunting me down for a fight," he said, keeping his eye out on the streets. Soifon reached out and grabbed the back of Ichigo's shirt, dragging him off to who-knows where despite his loud and noticeable protests.

Ichigo was dumped on the ground, in front of Orihime, Uryu, and Sado who were all sitting down on a large couch.

"Oh, guys. What are we doing here? Wait. Where is here?" he asked, getting up and sitting next to them. Soifon sat down in a single couch front of them, a serious look on her face.

"This room is the headquarters of a division that was created almost 42 years ago. It was called Division Elemental, Division E, and though it was small at the time with only 4 people, it was well known. The person who created this division was the very person you met today, Hyuga Hinata. She also organized many different events and schedules to help out the Rukongai. She personally attended and helped out in every club and was known to be a great sensei that was always willing to lend a hand, for paperwork or otherwise. She returned today as a traitor, pretending to be someone you are quite familiar with, your neighbor I heard," she said, an icy tone freezing her voice. She slid a picture of Hinata as a Shinigami and one a few days ago across the table. "What connection does she have with your neighbor and you?" Ichigo leapt up.

"Look, I don't know who the h311 you think you are, but we literally saw her for the first time today. Don't even start this conversation," Ichigo said defensively, steel lining his voice. Soifon closed her eyes patiently and irritably.

"Ryoka. I merely follow orders. Are you sure that this is the first time that you have seen her?" Soifon asked calmly.

"Hai," he answered. Soifon looked behind him.

"Your friends?" she asked. He turned to look back at them.

"Never seen her," Sado answered right away.

"Hmm…I'm afraid that I have also not seen her before," Uryuu said, pushing up his glasses.

"Hmm…you know, it's really weird. I think I've seen her before," Orihime said, tilting her head to the side. They all turned to look at her.

"Eh…? EH?" they screamed (Soifon not included).

"I mean not in person, demo there is this old picture I used for a project. It was around 40 years ago; an asteroid was falling to Karakura Town. It barely harmed Karakura Town at all, luckily, which was odd since it was said to be big enough to destroy the whole state. We learned about it in school, remember? The impact ended up only being a few meters and didn't hurt anyone. Well, for art class, we were drawing a single scene with the people running from the asteroid as our interpretation. Well, actually, a few days before it was due, I had a dream about when the asteroid fell and a person that looked exactly like her was there," she said carefully. She pointed to the picture of when Hinata was a Shinigami. "She had her hair down, not in a bun, but it was this same shade. She was wearing a white dress and…" Orihime frowned.

"She was running towards the asteroid." She paused. "I thought it was really weird, but for some reason, I ended up adding it to the painting, right in the front where she was standing out, but the sensei didn't seem to realize at all that she was there. In fact, she even talked about the people I painted over, as though she was seeing through her. I didn't think that much of it though." It was quiet for a moment.

"Well," a new voice said. "I guess we'll have some investigating to do."

"Ah! Toshiro-san!" Ichigo called out.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," he corrected, irritably. "Do you think you can find that drawing?"

"Well," Orihime said, thinking. "I might be able to. It might take some time though."

"Good. During that time, someone will have to be stationed over in Karakura Town to watch out for her," he said.

"Something wrong?" Soifon questioned.

"Iie, demo those who hide will definitely be sought," he said, looking at the right wall. Beside the plant, the faintest outline of a door appeared before someone came out.

"Oh, I was caught," the person said, scratching the back of his neck, a playful, yet polite smile on his face. "Let me introduce myself. I am Momochi Haku, a male. I was one of the original four of Division Elemental. Yoroshiku." Though his features were feminine, it was more obvious that he was a male. His hair was up in a bun with a senbon and the necklace of a carved water droplet was older, more worn. The Shinigami uniform of his had gotten a few minor adjustments, a few inches off the sleeve, a little wider on the shoulders, etc. His sword almost touched the floor and he looked a little older than he should have with faint bags under his eyes, tales of his lack of sleep recently.

"Are you going to be stationed with us?" Uryu asked.

"Oh, I wish. Honestly though, I've been under lockdown since the incident a few days ago," he said, his smile faltering. "I don't see why I have to though. Anyways, Hitsugaya-san," Hitsugaya grunted, but let the blunder go. "can you plead my case with Yamamoto-san?"

"I can try," he answered in a tired voice.

"You know. There's something that I don't get," Ichigo thought aloud.

"Nani?" Soifon asked coolly.

"Why would she attack the Seireitei?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Well," Uryu explained. "From what we can gather, she loved this place. No one would form a division, make events and schedules, do paperwork, etc. for something that they did not like. Why would she suddenly decide to turn traitor?" Hitsugaya sighed.

"There are a few ideas," he said. "It's about time for you guys to go home. Ja." Hitsugaya turned around about to leave.

"Oh, Hitsugaya-san. Before you go, there is something I have to show you," Haku said, his face in realization as though he had just remembered. Hitsugaya sighed before turning around. Only for a second, did the occupants of the room see the tiredness that permeated his features, for a second showing an exhausted child, not the superior taicho. Then, back was the responsible adult of Hitsugaya, making the child almost seem like an illusion, a trick of the eye.

"Nani?" he asked as Haku led him into the room and the door shut behind them, once again hidden within the wall.

Karakura Town…

"Hikari!" Ichigo yelled, bursting into her home, Orihime, Sado, and Uryu on his tail.

"Hikari!" Ichigo yelled.

"Hm?" A head popped out from the kitchen. Hikari stepped out, an apron over her clothes and a whisk in one hand. "Ah! Ichi-kun! Hime-chan! Sa-kun! Yu-kun! What are you guys doing here?" She smiled brightly. "I'm making my specialty so you guys have to stay and eat!" Ichigo, who had quickly pushed Kon out of his body and taken it back the moment he entered his home, stomped up to her. She tilted her head.

"Daijobou?" she asked. He took her by the shoulders, surveying her intently.

"Ano…?" she asked, confused.

"Hikari, daijobou? Are you hurt anywhere? What did they do to you the last few days?" he asked.

"Did something happen?" she asked. Orihime pushed her into the kitchen, smiling brightly.

"Oh, it's nothing too important. I'll explain it later! For now, let's have some of your food! I missed it!" she said.

"Inoue-san!" Uryu called out. Orihime gave one last shove before turning to the boys.

"Well, if we just ask her questions and get her confused, she might have an attack. It's better we just act like we heard some news that someone broke into her house or something," she explained, whispering. Grudgingly, they did so.

"Eh?" Hikari asked. "You heard that someone broke into my house and took me hostage?" She laughed. "I've been fine, though someone did break into my house." She paused to calm them down before continuing.

"Remember when some guy was impersonating you? A girl and boy did come to break into my house that day; I think they were like siblings or something. The boy was so much older. Maybe he was an uncle, because they didn't look alike. Anyways, they just wanted a place to stay for a while so I let them. They didn't stay here often. They just slept here. I fell sick around that time. They helped me out, cooking and cleaning. Oh, I must have been delusional, but I swore that you were talking to 2 spirits. It was crazy, but I even thought I heard my voice even though I was lying sick in bed. When school ended, I felt better and I went up to check on you, but I found out all of you guys went somewhere. Around a week ago, they packed up, thanked me, and left. Their names were Hinata and Zabuza," she said smiling. The only thing the occupants at the table could do was stare, mouths open, and eyes wide, speechless.

"Eh? Eh? Nani? Daijobou?" Hikari stood up, panicking.

"Don't worry. We're fine. Ja ne. We just remembered we have something to do. The meal was great!" Ichigo stood up, the others close behind.

* * *

_Flashback…_

* * *

"Oi! Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya called out.

"Nani?" Ichigo turned around.

"The minute you find something out about Hinata, Aizen, or anything else, press this button. We'll call and/or come over then, so don't just press it in the midst of a park. Press it somewhere a little secluded," Hitsugaya said, handing him a watch. "It actually tells time, so you'll have an excuse to wear it. Don't worry. It should only react to someone's spiritual thumbprint, so if you hit it against a basketball or something, you'll be fine. But be careful. It's still expensive and can break."

* * *

_End of Flashback…_

* * *

"Already?" was the response they got over the watch.

"Oi, is that the proper thanks we get?" Ichigo grumbled.

"How many people can we send over?" Hitsugaya asked. Ichigo looked around his room and at the other three occupants. He paused for a second.

"I guess four or five is fine," Ichigo answered.

"Alright. Give us a minute," he replied before there was a short beep. A few seconds later, four people stepped out of a Senkaimon. One was Hitsugaya and the one to his right was recognizable as Haku. The three to his left were vaguely familiar.

"This," Hitsugaya said, jabbing his thumb to the left. "is Inuzuka Kiba, TenTen, and Hyuga Neji. They are part of Division E. as well."

"Are these two part of the original four?" Uryu asked.

"Iie. They were recruited later," Hitsugaya said, crossing his arms. "The other one here is Momochi Haku. You've met." Gathering around a small table in Ichigo's room, the four humans (Quincy, Shinigami-daikou, and two very special humans) began recalling the event to the three Shinigami.

"So that's the situation," Hitsugaya said sighing. "Alright. Well, that shows how they could pull of such an act."

"Those in Division E are well rounded and are known for their great insight and acting," Neji explained calmly and rather proudly. His face turned into a scowl. "Excusing some of us." He threw a venomous glance at Kiba.

"If you don't like me, come out and say it," Kiba challenged Neji with a glare of his own. The two locked gazes, exchanging sparks. Hitsugaya scowled.

"Baka! Now isn't the time for a fight!" TenTen yelled, smacking the two across the head, hard. Hitsugaya stood up, followed by the bickering men.

"This is the Shinigami who is to be stationed here. Provide room for her, will you?" Hitsugaya said before entering a Senkaimon that suddenly appeared. "Ja ne." Then, the three were gone, leaving the only female Shinigami at the moment and her housing issue with Ichigo.

"Yo!" TenTen greeted. "So, where am I staying?" She smiled brightly.

"You're staying here?" he questioned, receiving a nod in turn. He cursed. "Where the he-"

"Ichi-kun!" came a sudden yell. "I'm coming up again!~" Ichigo cursed, throwing open the window and hurling the spirits into the closet just in time as Hikari jumped into his room through the window, wearing jeans and a giant sweatshirt that had "Boredom doesn't exist in my world." written across the front in loopy letters.

"Yo! What'd I miss?" she greeted.

"I wish you'd use the front door," Ichigo said exhaustedly.

"You know there's no fun in that. Besides, I always welcome you to do the same for me," she said, smiling.

"You know that I always pass on that offer. So, why are you here?" he asked sitting on his chair.

"I just wanted to come visit. It's been a while since you've come over. Is there something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

"Don't worry about it. There's just some stuff going on. While that's going on, I'm supposed to find housing for some girl an-" he said.

"No way!" Hikari interrupted. "You need help with that and you didn't think of me?" She mocked offense before smiling. "She can live with me! It would be so much fun!" She squealed. "What's her name? Her age? Hobby? Where is she?"

"Calm down,' Ichigo barked. He put a hand to his head, as though to suppress the headache he knew was to come. "Anyways, her name is TenTen and I don't know much else."

"How come you're trying to find housing for her?" Hikari questioned.

"Don't ask," Ichigo said tiredly. "Anyways, are you sure that you can provide a room for her?" Hikari nodded, smiling brightly.

"Send her over later! I've got to prepare a room!" she shouted excitedly before jumping out of the window, eyes sparkling. The closet door opened cautiously.

"That's the neighbor that knows Hinata?" TenTen questioned. Ichigo nodded and her eyes gleamed.

"I'm going to get every ounce of information out of her," she promised, pulling out a sharp kunai.

"Whoa!" Ichigo yelled. "No way! You are not harming her in any way, shape, or form!" TenTen blinked before staring at her hand and at the kunai before it clicked.

"Oh, don't worry. It's just a habit to hold a kunai in hand. Besides, you don't want to see some of the taicho when they get pissed," she waved it off casually. "She does see spirits, right?"

"Yeah, but she does know how to tell the difference between a spirit and human, just to let you know," Ichigo informed.

"Alright," TenTen answered. "Now to come up with a good story…"

* * *

"Ichi-kun promised to help you find a new home because he accidentally threw a baseball, broke a window in the basement, hit several important pipes, and caused your house to explode?" Hikari repeated questioningly. TenTen nodded. The two were sitting in Hikari's living room with Ichigo.

"It was an old house," she started, faking tears. "It creaked and there was little food or anything that I could eat, but it was my home. It was going to be demolished anyways, but I was hoping for that one last night there." Hikari smiled.

"Don't worry, you can stay here. Don't be afraid to walk through walls and such, I'm used to it. Oh, but there are some rules. A lot of times, I'm out of the house, so during that time, no inviting living or nonliving friends without my permission. No breaking anything. Fridge can be raided at all times, but don't forget to clean up. Oh, and don't enter my room unless I'm there."

"That's it?" TenTen questioned, staring at the comfortable home. She imitated Hikari. "I expected more like, 'You have to tell me where you go every time!' or 'No fridge raiding allowed!' Something like that." Hikari shook her head.

"No. I just don't like unexpected guests and a lot of the things I own are expensive, like the instruments over there 100,000,000 yen. (It's around $1,198,681.45 in US dollars.) Food isn't really a problem, but I really can't stand messes. After my jobs, usually I'm tired and don't want to be bothered with things like that. Oh, and every girl needs her privacy, ne?" Hikari explained.

"I understand," TenTen answered. "Those are some expensive instruments though. Want to play a tune for me?" Hikari smiled.

"Sure, why not? Ichi-kun, why don't you also invite the other spirit to stay and listen?" Hikari invited.

"Do you really need to ask?" Ichigo questioned, snorting. "She's just outside the window." Hikari let her in, giggling. Rukia took a seat next to TenTen and Ichigo before Hinata sat down on the piano chair, her fingers opening the piano's cover. The grand piano sounded rich as Hikari's fingers ran over each note clearly. Each second was filled with harmonious chords and the enriching melody that floated throughout the room, painting a calm picture of a meadow with a river flowing through, butterflies flying in the slight breeze. Slowly, the song came to an end and TenTen opened her eyes, not knowing exactly when she had closed them. Ichigo let out a small smile.

"As wonderful as always," Ichigo complimented.

"…Wow," TenTen said finally, speechless. "What song was that?" Hikari smiled softly and for a moment, she wasn't Hikari, but she was TenTen's mother, smiling proudly at her daughter even though the two were going through a tough time with money. TenTen blinked and the image disappeared. To Ichigo, for a second he saw his mother before she was once again Hikari, but there was no sign of discontentment for he did not mind seeing a little of his mother in Hikari. They were friends, after all.

"That song is called River Flows in You. A Korean man called Yiruma made it. It is truly a beautiful song, ne?" Hikari said softly, gently running her fingers over the keys of the piano before closing it. "I remember my Kaa-chan playing it for me before she passed away. She always did have a weak heart. I wish I could have met her."

"Couldn't you?" Rukia asked cautiously.

"Ah. At that time, I was only a few years old. My spiritual power was rather inconsistent at the time. Besides, I only faintly recall it. I was left at an orphanage since my Tou-san wasn't around. I don't really mind though." Hikari's face brightened considerably. "Everyone at the orphanage is so kawaii and kind. I really didn't mind. I was the eldest as well. I had to lend a hand and set a good example." TenTen and Rukia held Hikari's hands in silence and there was no doubt that the females would get along well.

"Well, I've got to go," Ichigo excused, feeling awkward. "Ja ne."

"Ja ne," said the girls in unison. They turned to look at each other before smiling and laughing. Ichigo rolled his eyes before exiting. He never did understand girls.

* * *

Over in the Seireitei, a certain taicho sighed. He looked over at the two coffins in the middle of the room, covered in a layer of dust and empty inside. Nearby, propped up on a shelf, was a bracelet, jingling with flowers. Next to it was a short note. _Borrowed them._

The taicho ran his hand over his silvery hair, closing his eyes in frustration. He muttered to himself.

"What do you think you're doing?" he questioned.

"Now now," another taicho called out. "You'll get wrinkles in your brow too early if you push yourself, Jyushiro."

"Kyoraku!" Ukitake called out. "Ah, gomen. You know how I get…Besides, this doesn't make sense." He furrowed his brow once again as his friend came up to him, leaning on him.

"You're probably thinking too much into it," the taicho said, trying to calm his friend.

"Kyoraku," Ukitake said slowly. "You suspect something too, don't you?"

"Well, Hina-chan isn't well known for doing things without meaning," he answered, picking his words carefully. Ukitake nodded.

"What I don't get is why would she take the bodies of Yamanaka Ino, her former comrade, and her 'baa-chan,' the lady who helped her," Ukitake said, thinking.

"What seems the most odd to me, is the note," Shunsui said. He picked it up gently.

" 'Borrowed them.' Why would she write that?" Shunsui questioned. He looked over at the other object on the shelf. "Not only that, but why would she leave that bracelet. From what I hear, it's very important to her." Ukitake furrowed his eyebrows in thought before turning around, Shunsui following.

"We better get some sleep. Worrying just about this, will hinder our minds," Shunsui said as the two left.

* * *

The morning of the new school semester, a loud scream rang out from a man.

"I~C~H~I~G~O~" yelled Isshin, Ichigo's father, who was known for his hyperness and athletic abilities. Ichigo caught his father's kick, eyebrow twitching in fury.

"Whoa! Ichigo! You've gotten stronger!" he exclaimed. "You even caught my mid-air screw kick!"

"Urusai!" Ichigo yelled, throwing his father. Ichigo's sisters heard the racket, sighing.

"Don't disturb the neighbors!" Yusu yelled up at them, getting ready.

"Oh, it hasn't been so lively for a while," Karin commented.

"Karin! Stop them!" Yusu begged. As passerbyers stared at the loud noise coming from the house, a certain girl slammed open the door, paying no mind to the noise. A few minutes later, the noise ceased before the girl pulled out a boy, Ichigo, by his ear. Two girls, Karin and Yuzu, followed, waving good-bye to a crying father who had a large bump on his head. The girl, Hikari, who was known for her kindness and ability to accept anything, wore a white tank top that showed the slightest bit of her chest, a black jacket, and a pair of blue jeans, complete with a pair of white shoes. Ichigo rubbed his sore ear before looking her up and down.

"No," he said bluntly.

"Hm?" she questioned.

"It shows your chest," he answered. She blushed. Though she found it a pain, it was hard not to notice her chest, which was around the same size as Orihime's. It was not as noticeable, however, until the slightest bit of her cleavage was shown. Hikari left, coming back a few seconds later, changed into a higher cut tank top, this time a purple color. Then, bidding Ichigo a farewell, the three girls left. Later that morning, as Mizuiro and Keigo, Ichigo's two friends were in class with him, one standing, the other insulting, Hikari came up to him.

"Ichi-kun!" she greeted. Keigo jumped up to greet her, as her hand met his face, leaving a bruise. "I'll be helping for your class for some time. Your sisters will have to do without me for a while." After greetings, the teacher happily came back in, smiling. As Ichigo's 'seal of approval' decided to go off, Hikari perked up, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Sensei! I forgot to do something! I'm taking Ichi-kun to help me!" she said, dragging him out the door. The beeping of the seal caused an immediate reaction from Orihime and Sado, who ran off, excusing themselves for the bathroom. Tatsuki sighed, staring out the window and silently gaped as she saw Ichigo dressed in black, running off with Hikari jogging with him. She stayed silent, her mind racing. _What was he doing?…_

"Ichi-kun," Hikari called in a serious voice, keeping up with him in his spiritual form. "You better explain this."

"You too right?" he questioned. She nodded. Ichigo looked in her eyes, seeing the serious and worried side of her. He nodded stiffly once and the two looked back to the front, exchanging words no more. The silence settled calmly between the two as they ran, both in spiritual form.

* * *

**Well, I hope this chapter wasn't too bad of a disappointment. Did you enjoy it? Anyways, this makes it my fourth update today! Oh, and I completed A-Z HitsugayaHinata. Anyone notice?**


	26. The Truth and The Hidden

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Wow! It's chapter 26 already! Thanks for the immense support! For those of you who didn't catch it, read the last four words of the story (both in spiritual form). Well, this chapter is to explain that and hopefully other questions everyone has.**

* * *

~No One's PoV~

The tension was palpable and Ichigo couldn't help but frown. Hikari's usual smile was replaced with a tight lip and furrowed eyebrows. Orihime, Sado, Ichigo, TenTen, and Uryu, who had somehow been brought, sat around Hikari's living room as she moved around in the kitchen, getting out refreshments and such. Sado, Ichigo, and Uryu sat together in one couch while Orihime and TenTen sat together in the other. A new addition had been made to the room, two single couches, which matched the other two couches. The two new couches surrounded the previously open sides of the glass table. Hikari came out and set down a tray of cookies and tea, before sitting down herself in one of the single chairs, hands in her lap.

"So," Ichigo said slowly. Hikari's mouth tightened before she slowly opened it.

"Explain," she said. Ichigo explained their journey so far as Orihime and Sado chimed in occasionally. Uryu couldn't help but add in some remarks of his own. TenTen was silent and simply listened to their conversation. They turned to Hikari after their story was finished. She paused for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed.

"By all means, I should be dead," was the first sentence out of her mouth. Collective expressions of surprise spread throughout the room.

"I mean, I almost died when I was really little. A Shinigami saved me and it was soon after that that my spiritual powers were more consistent. Shinigami-san helped me out, giving me cooking tips and such. Real life stuff, not spiritual things. She watched over me and years passed. But one night, I ended up with part of her Shinigami powers. I was entering college when they found out. Before she left, she taught me a few of the basics about Soul Society and such. Then, they took her away and from what I can tell about the rules there, they executed her. They took away all of my spiritual power and before I knew it, I was alone again." She paused and breathed deeply.

"I graduated from college with a good degree and got a part-time job at the hospital as well as a teaching job. That's where I met all of your parents. It's been a while since then, as you can see." Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"You don't look a day over 21," he said bluntly. She laughed and some of the tension was lifted.

"Ichi-kun, aren't you a lady's man," she joked. "I'm actually almost 40 now."

"Eh?" Orihime asked. "Demo!" Hikari laughed.

"Don't worry. I plan on living until I get godchildren from you guys," she teased, winking. She bit into a cookie before continuing.

"Well, one day, I was walking home when a boy was almost ran over by a truck. I was right there so I pushed him out of the way. I was in the hospital for a while. I think it was what you call and 'out-of-the-body experience' or something. But during that time, I learned how to eject my soul from my body and I got back all of my spiritual power. After I was discharged, I took it upon myself to fight some of the monsters coming to Karakura Town. I used good old hand-to-hand combat and for a while it was fine. Recently though, there are too many and I found out that Ichi-kun and Yu-kun were fighting them. Before I knew it, Sado-kun and Hime-chan were dragged into it too." She took a breath.

"It was purely by chance, but recently I found out that using my spiritual form strains my disease, which was why I was in and out of the hospital so much recently. Well-"

"Then why the h311 did you go into your spirit form today? It wasn't threatening or anything!" Ichigo yelled, standing up. Hikari's face was completely serious.

"It was important," she said simply. He cursed. "Drop it." Her tone made him bite his lip. He cursed again before sitting down again, not fully satisfied. TenTen's eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line. She opened her mouth to say something, but after a few seconds of watching Hikari, her eyes widened and she closed her mouth. Hikari smiled as TenTen dismissed herself quickly. After half an hour, during which the teenagers and Hikari mulled things over, Hikari sent them home with cookies in hand and a smile on her face.

~TenTen's PoV~

I was leaning against the wall in her garden. Uneasily, I took a deep breath and played with a kunai in hand. It could have just been coincidence I tried convincing myself. _But it was too obvious…_

_Don't worry. I'm a friend. I'll explain later._ That was what she had clearly signed. Why would she know that code though? Only those on Division E. and the ones who had once been on Division E. knew of it. I let out a frustrated growl. I needed help. I reached out with my mind and soon, I was in my inner world.

It was a simple training dojo with a wide space and large variety of training objects. On one side were dummies, which had been made to be tough as a human's skin, and would stitch itself back together when cut up. Targets showed vital areas, which would bleed slowly, and triangles showed painful areas that would cause excruciating pain slowly, while squares showed quick deathblows, one-hit knockouts. On the opposite wall, a large variety of weapons were propped up on hooks, ready to be used at any given moment. A door stood beside the weapons, which lead to a medical room to rest after training was done or fix oneself up when going through harsh training.

"Lee!" I called out. A familiar male jumped down in front of me.

"Youthful TenTen! What brings you here today?" he questioned. Lee had changed over the years. First off, he had changed the outfit he usually wore, though he did stick with green. A white shirt was tucked into a pair of dark green jeans. His belt had the Konoha symbol as the buckle and a green camouflage jacket hung from his shoulders. Next off, his hair had been changed totally, giving him a refreshing sort of look. His eyebrows had thinned out due to an accident with some fire involved when we had been alive. In all, he looked much better.

As for me, I wore the Shinigami uniform, except it had been custom-made with plenty of pockets and other things to store weapons though overall it looked like a normal Shinigami uniform. My hair was still up in two buns, but the ribbons I kept on it were longer and now colored black, like the uniform. A sword was strapped to my waist, the hilt a dark green and tsuba in the shape of a leaf. Around my neck was a flower-shaped wooden necklace.

Lee took one look at me before sitting down as chairs and a table complete with cookies and tea popped out of nowhere.

"Now, let's begin this explanation, shall we?" he asked. I took a seat as a familiar, feminine voice suddenly agreed with him.

"Let's," the voice said. I looked up and saw Hikari Junseiki sitting across from me, grabbing a cookie.

Whoa, what in the world? I'm afraid that's the end. Let's check the page number. 2? No way! I'm so continuing! Anyways, let's return to where we left off.

I shrieked, standing up and knocking the chair over. I backed away as quickly as possible. Hikari looked at me with a sheepish grin. She waved for me to come over.

"Calm down," she said, sounding a little strained. "I told you I'd explain. Now sit down, will you? I made these just for you and Lee-kun. If I recall, these were your favorites." Cautiously, I took a few steps forward and saw that they were, indeed my favorite cookies, chocolate chip. Grudgingly, I sat down, still wary. I took a bite and practically melted. They were made just how I liked them. I swallowed the cookie whole before shoveling some more into my mouth. I heard her giggle.

"Now Ten-chan! Slow down," she said, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "Now, I guess from where explanations start, the easiest thing to do is to just show you." She stood up, locked eyes with me and Lee and I saw hesitance in her eyes. She sighed and ran through some quick hand signs before some smoke rose up with a pop, letting me know that a jutsu had just been undone.

"No…No way," I muttered, staring at her.

"Yup," she said. She stood shyly now, as though unsure if what she had done was right. I threw myself at the swords on the wall, and in one fluid movement I laid it on her shoulder, blade barely touching her neck. She stood still, calmly. I was breathing hard, unbelieving. Slowly, she lifted her hand up and pushed it away. She gave me plenty of time to lop off her head or readjust it, but I just couldn't seem to bring myself to do either as tears ran down my cheeks. Lee sat there calmly, though some emotions flew through his eyes. Soon, the sword's tip gently hit the ground and I dropped the hilt, letting it clatter onto the floor.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, trying to calm myself down as the tears blurred my vision. "You've changed. A lot…but you look the same right now." I observed aloud as she calmly took in my state of mind and Lee's new appearance.

"…I'm here to explain," she said coolly. I sat down again as she took a seat, inhaling the scent of the tea. She took a deep breath and began to explain. Her voice was calm and soothing, like how I remembered it. She told of a story and numbly, I could only listen. Drowsiness overtook me and I found that her soft scent and shoulder were the same too.

_You've come back…_

_Hina-chan…_

* * *

**Now how's that for an end? Oh darn, only 2 ½ pages. Onwards!**

* * *

When I awoke, I was lying on the couch and I could hear the shower was running. I sat up and looked around. I reminded myself that it was real and slapped myself with both hands, willing the drowsiness to flee. Soon, the shower turned off and she came down as herself, dressed in a big, fluffy pink sweater and a long, black skirt. Her hair was long, not short as it had been in the Soul Society where she had been declared traitor. Her eyes were soft again. She sat down beside me and let me burst into tears, hugging me close just like she used to when I complained to her when we were alive. The nostalgic reminder had me clinging to her with more force and hugging her closer, letting me know this was not a dream and that this was reality.

~Hikari/Hinata's PoV~

"Hei as in henheisoku. Ko as in onameimoko. Shin as in shinseikouhai. Ko as in kamoshimentaiko. Hirako Shinji. Yoroshiku," the boy greeted, bowing slightly crookedly. His blond hair was cut at his jaw and had narrow, brown eyes. My lips pursed into a thin line as he and the sensei talked casually. There was only one reason why he was here, I knew, and though I didn't like it, I knew that it was necessary. When the sensei placed him next to Ichi-kun, I grudgingly decided not to say a word.

_This was not the time._ I looked around the room. _Or place._

As Ichi-kun's seal of approval from the Soul Society went off, I stayed put and decided that keeping an eye on the new boy was the best option at the moment. Especially after the memory of seeing him hang upside down earlier yesterday, smirking and muttering Ichi-kun's name with a water bottle in hand, played in my mind like a record.

After school ended, I thought of paying him a visit. With that in mind, I waited and late that evening, his reiatsu could be felt with Ichi-kun's nearby. Faintly, I could also feel the other Shinigami's reiatsu, the one with the afro. Digging into my mind, I slowly recalled his name, Kurumadani Zennosuke. If I recalled, he was a bit self-centered and had a bit more bark than bite.

Hiding my reiatsu, I hid myself a block away and watched carefully, holding myself back from helping and resisting the urge to slap Shin-kun. As Ichi-kun's spiritual pressure rose, I looked around and spotted hollow appearing. I could see Kon (if I recall his nickname correctly) running loose, perversely, with a very familiar Hollow appearing behind him, somewhere between an Adjuchas and Vasto Lordo. I could see Ichi-kun's father and a familiar shopkeeper run his way. One Adjuchas Hollow appeared very close to Yu-kun, but I could also see his father running his way.

Kurumadani-san ducked smartly, knowing this was out of his league, but he stayed, worriedly. Ichi-kun yelled at Shin-kun, demanding and infuriated. As the two finally noticed the large spiritual pressure, Ichi-kun running off and refusing, I stood up, waiting for Shin-kun to notice me while he made his call. I could hear the screeches of fights all around, but I shot down the urge to go and assist them. My job was here.

"Shin-kun," I said finally.

"Oh, it's Hina-chan!" he said, waving. "I can tell this isn't an ordinary visit." I sighed, knowing he was correct.

"If only it was," I said wistfully. "I'm here to talk about Ichi-kun."

"Of course. You know though…no matter what you say, we're still going to recruit him," Shin-kun said in a light tone though his eyes narrowed seriously at me. My lips pressed into a tight line.

"I'm aware just as you are that this is the best course to defeat _him_. It's the whole reason that I went to such lengths," I answered, my eyebrows furrowing. "I'm here to warn you."

"Hm?" he could only say.

"I'm here to warn you," I repeated. "Don't underestimate Ichi-kun…or his hollow." Shin-kun was silent for a moment.

"Don't worry Hina-chan. You just do your job," he said stiffly. I let out a sigh, my head starting to pound.

"It's hard to…believe that at one point…I had to…save you," I said, pausing within every few words as my head began to blank out.

"Oi. Go home. You're no good to us if you're dead," he said, the barest trace of concern lining his voice. My vision began to swim and taking deep breaths, I could only stay silent.

"I'll be visiting…you guys…later…Expect it," I said before waving and leaving, just as pain excruciatingly spread through my body.

"Hina-chan!" I could faintly make out Ten-chan yell before the ground at my feet appeared before my eyes.

I opened my eyes as sunlight faintly streamed in from the large window in the living room. A thermometer was under my tongue and a blanket covering me. I could hear Ten-chan clinking around in the kitchen. Slowly, I got up and pulled out the thermometer from my mouth. My head was throbbing, but I paid no heed to it before standing up, checking my temperature, 100.43 degrees Fahrenheit. Slowly and painfully, I walked towards the kitchen and opened a cupboard. Hands shaking, I pulled out a small, tinted container. It slipped and a hand grabbed it from the air.

"Ten-chan," I said shakily. I coughed a bit before reaching out for the pills. I needed to go to school. I needed to watch Ichi-kun and protect him.

"These aren't good for you, are they?" she asked seriously, holding them just out of my reach.

"What are you talking about? They're just painkillers," I lied, making another grab for them before sliding down against the counter, exhausted. My breath came out in pants as Ten-chan looked at the container as though her glare would make them disappear.

"Then you won't mind if I eat one, would you?" she said with venom, opening the lid and pouring a few onto her hand.

"No!" I yelled, leaping up. The open container and all of its contents clattered on the floor as I pinned Ten-chan down. Her eyes burrowed into mine.

"So these aren't good for you. What's going on? Why are you eating these? Why are you still here?" she asked. "Why didn't you return to the Seireitei? What's going on? Wasn't there another guy who disappeared with you? What happened to him? Explain it Hina-chan." I could only breathe hard, holding her against the floor. A sudden wave of pain hit me and I could feel myself about to pass out. My grip loosened the slightest bit and faintly, I remembered that Ichi-kun and everyone would be protected. Shin-kun would give up his life. Who would protect him though?

"Bring…bring everyone…Division E…here," I said, my eyes swimming. "I'll explain…when they…arrive." With that, my world became black again.

* * *

**Ok, now it's been 5 pages and I think it's an okay stopping place. Look forward to next time! You'll see Hinata's plan! And where did Zabuza go? Please review! **


	27. Hikari and the Imminent Truth

**I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Well, this is hard to believe. I've written 8 complete stories and 3 ongoing stories. I remember when I had only one story. Oh the memories. Anyways, I shouldn't get distracted! As you can see, my writer's block kind of disappeared. Now the chapter is longer! Yay! Don't forget that I put last name then first name like Japanese style. Now onwards!**

**Definitions:**

**Shogakusei-Elementary Student**

**Itoko-Cousin**

**Kakkoii-Cool**

**Jubuntai-Tenth Division**

**Jusanbuntai-Thirteenth Division **

**Mae, Sode no Shirayuki-Dance, Sleeve of Snow**

**Some no mai, Tsukishiro-First Dance, White moon**

**Sanseki-third seat**

**Okiro-Erupt**

**Nobiro, Hozukimaru-Grow, Demon Light**

**Ryumon Hozukimaru-Dragon Crest Demon Light**

**Tsukikudake, Derutoro-Skewer, Pale-Horned Prince**

**Tate, Tihereta-Snip, Five-Pincered Insect**

**Unare, Haineko-Growl, Ash Cat**

**Ryusenka-Dragon Hail Flower**

**Hikotsu Taiho-Baboon Bone Cannon**

**Getsuga Tensho-Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer**

**Garuganta-Black Cavity**

**Hueco Mundo-Hollow Sphere**

**Haien-Nullific Flames**

* * *

~Hikari/Hinata's PoV~

When I woke up, the sun was just setting, the light filling the living room with a soft pink and red. Mumbling voices could be heard from the kitchen and dining room. I sat up, ignoring my throbbing headache. What had happened? I woke up earlier, I could faintly recall. What had happened after? I sifted through my memories, trying to remember. Recalling it, I groaned, my hand holding my head. They deserved to know, I knew, but to say something so irrational was going to cost me, I was sure.

I walked into the kitchen, intent on getting water. I resisted the urge to slap myself seeing Division E sitting around, talking and laughing. Upon seeing me in the doorway, the conversation died and all eyes turned to me. Ignoring them, I got a cup of water and reached to grab a pill from the cupboard. I narrowed my eyes, seeing they weren't there.

"Where'd you put them?" I asked, turning to the group for the first time. Ten-chan stood up.

"I tossed them. They're no good for you and we decided that you don't need that sh!t," she answered. I twitched.

"You did what?" I said icily. I let my reiatsu flood the room, my headache suddenly nothing but an annoyance. I could feel some of them stiffen. "Do you think I was taking those for no reason? You think I took them to die or something?"

My reiatsu became more and more palpable as it filled to the max in the limit I allowed it to flood, the room. I turned from them abruptly, leaving the room. A familiar reiatsu suddenly appeared and quickly, I hid my reiatsu. The change had those in Division E breathing hard. Feeling around for reiatsu, I located every one of the townspeople and where the two were. I leapt out the door quickly, ejecting my soul from the body just before running through the door, leaving no ghostly trace of me behind. I hid myself against the shadows as Ichi-kun ran past. I almost followed, but I remembered a certain duo that I knew would come and help him. Calming myself, I took a breath and headed a different direction, remembering my promise to visit Shin-kun and the rest. Getting exposed now would do me no good.

Division E following behind me, I walked as though I did not notice them, injecting people I passed by with a bit of my spiritual pressure, helping them live once again. The ones by the park so far away, I could only hope for them. What a job full of death, I thought, grimacing. Almost without thinking, I find Shin-kun's reiatsu. Without a backwards glance, I quickly ran off, leaving my followers in the dust. Apologize later, I remind myself. Now, I need to just get away from it all.

~No One's PoV~

Hikari appeared suddenly after the battle between the duo and had been done and looked around at the people. Injecting them with spiritual pressure, she couldn't help but feel relief as they were once again alive. She looked over at the battlefield and couldn't help but frown, a wrinkle in her brow. Then, she turned on her heel and disappeared.

~Ichigo's PoV~

What the h311? I recalled what Inoue had told me while recovering.

_Don't apologize. It's fine since I was the one who ran off on my own. It doesn't hurt one bit. It's my fault so don't look at me like that. And please don't apologize._

What else could I do? Chad was hurt badly! Tatsuki almost died! What else could I have done but apologize? I was too weak and there was nothing I could have done.

"Ichi-kun. I'll be stopping by later. Don't forget," Hikari-chan said, giving me a smile. She looked over me with eyes of concern and gave me a hug. "Oh, and Ichi-kun. Remember these two things: I believe in you and don't give up. I better get going. Today, I'm teaching at your sisters' classroom. The principal got angry with me. Ja ne!" She jumped out the window, landing safely on her feet. I sighed before familiar reiatsu could be felt.

The door opened as Toshiro, Rangiku-san, Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika appeared in our school uniform.

"Oi! How you doing, Ichigo?" Renji asked.

"Rangiku-san! Renji! Ikkaku! Yumichika! Toshiro!" I yelled in surprise.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," Toshiro reminded me irritably.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

"Orders. They said to prepare for the fight with the Arrancar with the active-Shinigami group in the Human world," Renji answered seriously.

"What's that Aran-thing?" I asked.

"Seriously?" Renji asked surprised. "You didn't even know who they were and you picked a fight with them?"

"They're the ones who kicked your $$ a few days ago," a familiar voice called out. A hand appeared at the windowsill as a familiar silhouette appeared against the window.

"Rukia," I muttered.

"Long time no see, Ichigo," she answered. Whispers from my classmates reminded me of an audience just as Rukia jumped off the windowsill and towards me. Unexpectedly, a kick was presented to me, pain exploding on my cheek. Renji held me back as Rukia proceeded to slap me around.

"What's the big idea?" I yelled, feeling blood on my face.

"What's with that wimpy look on your face?" she yelled back.

"Wha-?" I could only start to ask before the nostalgic red glove with the skull made its reappearance and dragged my soul form out the door by my hair, leaving my body behind.

"You're coming with me!" she screeched, pulling me out the door.

"Matte! Rukia! Where are we going? Oi!" I yelled at her.

~Hikari/Hinata's PoV~

Feeling familiar reiatsu, I walked back to the school, calling the principal to excuse myself. Though there was some anger, he accepted that I was going to be late just as I arrived at the gates. I could hear a commotion up in Ichi-kun's classroom. Taking a giant leap, I flipped right through the window and into chaos. As I expected, 5 very familiar Shinigami were causing trouble for Ichi-kun in his class. Three were threatening the students, while two were hanging back, one in agony and the other just daydreaming. I picked up Ichi-kun's body and threw a kaizo konpaku **(Soul Candy like Kon)** into his mouth. He stood up automatically and awaited orders.

"Scowl and wait there," I ordered him. He automatically followed orders as I turned to the five Shinigami. The taicho looked over at me.

"Oi. Who are you?" he growled. My heart cracked seeing him again, reminding me of our last parting. I looked away immediately, looking over at the three troublemakers. Pulling out a book, I smacked them all in the face.

"Oi! Don't hurt my students!" I yelled, making the Shinigami kneel. They were irritated, I could tell, but there was nothing to do at the moment. I turned to Ichi-kun's classmates and smiled.

"Don't worry. The transfer students are harmless. They just don't know how our school is run," I excused them before turning to the five. "Follow me." I passed by Ichi-kun's body, ordering him to follow. The Shinigami stared at me warily. I looked over at all five of them.

"Now," I said forcefully. I let a bit of reiatsu leak out to show that I wasn't normal. Eyes widening, they followed me carefully, eyes darting around and analyzing me. The six (5 Shinigami and Ichi-kun) followed me out to the roof of the school. I turned around and looked at them.

"Shinigami, right?" I asked, pretending to be oblivious to who they were. 5 swords were pointed at my neck in unison as kaizo konpaku were thrust into their mouths and their bodies fell to the ground. "Not a very warm welcome."

"Who are you?" asked Yumi-kun, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I'm a friend," I answered simply.

"A friend?" Ikka-kun repeated.

"Yup," I stated. "I'm a friend of Ichi-kun's."

"Why do you know about Shinigami?" Giku-chan asked.

"I've met plenty. I've been able to see spirits for a long time," I replied.

"Is that so?" Ren-kun said slowly. I nodded. I looked over at Ichi-kun's body, which had been standing there the whole time, waiting for more orders.

"Eject," I commanded. The kaizo konpaku ejected itself out from Ichi-kun's body before I caught it. The sudden movement of my arm surprised the Shinigami, causing them to push their blades closer to my neck. A slight cut was made and blood poured out of the shallow injury.

"Why do you have that?" Giku-chan asked, her sword dangerously close to my veins.

"It's a rather long story and I'd rather not go into it at the moment. I have a promise to attend to. Ja ne," I said, waving. I jumped up onto the railing and free fell down to the ground. At the last moment, I flipped around and landed on my feet, crouching to absorb the impact. A shadow appeared beside me before all five of them were following me.

"Watch Ichi-kun's body for me!" I yelled before running off. "I'm going to be late for my job!" I could feel the stares on my back as I ran off. After running a good distance, I hid my reiatsu and felt that they were still at the school. _Now to get to my job…_

~Ichigo's PoV~

"Quit listening in!" I yelled angrily, throwing open the door.

"Your family is as energetic as ever," Rukia commented, sitting on my bed as the two ran off.

"Urusai. Now tell me about the Arran-whatevers," I ordered.

"Why don't you let us do the explaining?" a familiar voice called out as four heads popped out from my ceiling light.

"What did you guys do to my ceiling light?" I asked angrily.

"We were trying to change the light bulb!" Rangiku-san joked, gesturing to Ikkaku's head. Of course, Kon greeted Rangiku-san in his normal way.

"Is this some kind of greeting in the human world?" Renji asked.

"No. It's just him and some other baka," I answered, staring at Kon's knocked out form.

"So, Arrancar are Hollow who have both Shinigami and Hollow powers by taking off their masks. There were usually few and most were incomplete, but with Aizen and the Hogyoku, many more Arrancar can be made and of those, more complete ones could also be made. The two you met were complete Arrancar. You with me so far?" Renji explained/asked as Rukia held up ridiculous drawings.

"I would get it better without the drawings," I answered slowly, only to have the drawing book thrown at my face.

"We were originally going to recover in Soul Society with the absence of two taicho and destroyed buildings," started Renji, "but the complete Arrancar are being made much faster than we anticipated. In addition, they already entered the Human World to attack people as well. There was no way we could have just sat around. So we were chosen to come here."

"Chosen? By who?" I couldn't help but ask.

"By Yamamoto-soutaicho. He's making the decisions since the Central 46 were all wiped out. Rukia was chosen first since she knew you the best-"

"It was for my abilities!" Rukia defended quickly.

"I was picked since I was a capable combatant and closest to Rukia," Renji continued as though Rukia had not spoken out. "I was given the choice to pick a non-taicho to come along, so I chose Ikkaku-san. Of course, Yumichika-san just had to come along as well. Rangiku-san was passing by and wanted to join along 'cause she thought it would be fun and Hitsugaya-taicho was dragged along to lead us."

"That sounds more like a picnic," I thought aloud as he finished his detailed explanation. The window opened.

"The important thing is that Aizen is interested in you, Kurosaki Ichigo," Toshiro said, sitting with crossed arms and bent legs precariously on the windowsill.

"Ah! It's the boring taicho that refused to go through the ceiling with us!" Rangiku-san called out, turning around.

"Were you waiting for us to open the window at first? That's not a good idea. A silver-haired shogakusei would turn a lot of heads," Renji said with a plain face.

"When we get back to the Seireitei, you're all dead meat," Toshiro threatened angrily. The fire in his eyes cooled after a second as he looked out the window. "Anyways, the important thing is that Arrancar have Shinigami and Hollow powers. However, alone, they are not a threat. To start a war, all of them would have to be Menos or stronger."

"Menos or stronger?" I repeated. "You talk like there are Hollow stronger than Menos." His eyes locked onto mine and once again, I was surprised at the maturity and wisdom coating his piercing gaze.

"Hai," he answered, turning to face me, his feet barely resting on my bed as I flinched in surprise. "Iie. It would be more accurate to say there are three categories of Menos. The weakest would be the Gillian. I suppose they would be like foot soldiers. They're great in numbers and all look alike. These are the ones that the Soul Society uses in textbooks, since they are more common. The one you versed was a Gillian, the foot soldier." I recalled the giant Hollow.

"That…was a foot soldier?" I questioned, shocked.

"Gillians are huge, but they're slow and have beast-like intelligence. A taicho can kill these with ease, but the next two categories we have to worry about. The second category is Adjuchas. They're smarter and faster. They're smaller in number and in size, and they usually tend to lead Gillian in battles. However, taicho can also beat these, though with a bit of difficulty depending.

"The last type is the Vasto Lorde. They're roughly around the same size as humans usually, though I have heard that there were a few exceptions. They're the smallest in number and it's said that their numbers could be counted on one hand. However, their power is immense. A taicho cannot defeat them alone." He paused, boring his eyes into mine.

"Soul Society is short on three taicho…Let me put it simply. If Aizen gets his hands on more than 10 Vasto Lorde Hollow, Soul Society is doomed," he stated, his eyes serious and focused.

* * *

_Hueco Mundo…_

* * *

~Hinata's PoV~

"Ulquiorra, Yammy, you have returned," Aizen-sama stated simply. The two bowed.

Ulquiorra Cifer, cuatro (4) of the Espada, had messy, shoulder-length hair and piercing green eyes. Tear marks the same color of his eyes ran from the bottom curve of his eyes to his chin. His standard white outfit was made to have a longer coat and did not a single speck of blood to tell of his encounter. His zanpakuto was strapped to his waist and was green in color. His hole was just below his neck and his number was on one side of his chest. He was pale, much too pale, and by personal opinion, I found him a silent, stoic person. A broken helmet-like Hollow mask sat upon his head. He was handsome I mused; however, falling in love seemed to be too burdensome at the moment.

Yammy Llargo, on the other hand, numbers diez (10) and zero (0), was much larger with a much darker skin tone. His hair was orange and red marks were on his face. His white outfit was left unzipped and was ripped and bleeding in multiple places. His zanpakuto was also strapped to his waist, not that many saw it. His hole was in a similar place as Ulquiorra's and his number was on his shoulder. He was not that bright, as far as I knew, mostly brute strength and such. His mask remnant was along his jaw and though it was rather odd to admit, he was not such a pain.

"Would you mind showing your many brethren what you have found in the Human world?" Aizen-sama politely asked.

"As you wish," Ulquiorra answered and with deliberate carefulness, he pulled out his left eye, an empty space where it had last been. A single drop of blood ran over the pale green tear mark on his face. He held it in front of himself before crushing it with a sudden viciousness.

"Please…watch carefully," Ulquiorra requested as the scene played before my eyes. _How weak. How pitiful. What wasted expectations from Aizen-sama ._My eyes narrowed. _Filth._

"I see," Aizen-sama finally answered after the scene had ended. "So that is why you thought killing him was unworthy."

"He was never worth it," I muttered to Aizen-sama, who I stood next to.

"Better safe than sorry," he murmured back.

"Hai," Ulquiorra answered. "As our orders were, 'to kill him if it seemed as though he would be a threat to us.' Also-"

"That's weak," Grimmjow interrupted. "If it were me, I would have killed them all in one attack." _Overconfident._

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra muttered with slight distaste. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, who was Sexta (6), was not pale, but neither was he as dark as Yammy. His hair and eyes were a jet blue, making him someone easy to notice. He, like Yammy, left his top open and had blue-green markings at the corner of his eyes. He had his zanpakuto strapped to his waist with a black sash and his number on his back. He reminded me of a certain taicho, being bloodthirsty and all. A section of his mask was of the teeth of a skull and like Ulquiorra, I found that he was also quite good-looking in a bad boy sort of way.

"If your orders include the phrase 'kill him,' then you should do your best to kill him no matter what, right?" Grimmjow questioned of him.

"I agree," Shawlong agreed. "He is an enemy and though there might be little value to killing him, letting him live has even less value." Shawlong Kufang, leader of Grimmjow's Fraccion and the oldest of them, numbering Undecimo (11), was a willowy man with a large white fragment of his skull on his head. His dark eyes were sharp and his dark hair was put in a braid. He wore the standard white outfit issued to Aizen-sama's followers and a zanpakuto on his waist. I often found that he was rather well mannered compared to the other Arrancar. He was short, straight-to-the-point, and smart. He was somewhat silent most of the time as well.

"And Yammy!" yelled out Grimmjow. "Look at how badly you got beaten up! You two might be saying 'he wasn't worth killing,' but all I can hear is 'he couldn't be killed.' " _Baka._

"Oi Grimmjow," Yammy said in a warning tone. "Did you not see? That woman and old man injured me. Not the kid."

"It seems you guys didn't hear me. I said I would kill _all_ of them with one attack," Grimmjow stated, smirking.

"Are you implying something?" Yammy growled.

"Enough," I stated loudly. "Aizen-sama was not looking at his current state, but at his potential to grow. Understand?" There were multiple nods across the room.

"Hai," agreed Ulquiorra. "I found, however, that his power is unstable and may end up killing himself or joining us himself. I returned without his death at my hands for that reason."

"That's why I keep saying it's weak!" Grimmjow yelled furiously. "What if he ends up more powerful than we thought and he gets in our way?"

"Then, I'll take care of him myself," Ulquiorra answered shortly. Grimmjow was stunned.

"I see you have no complaint with that," Ulquiorra stated, turning back to Aizen-sama.

"Apart from what your brethren say, I'm impressed by you, Ulquiorra," Aizen-sama complimented. I looked at Ulquiorra with the slightest smile.

"Good work," I complimented.

"I am grateful," Ulquiorra replied with a bow. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed and his teeth gnashed together. _He was planning something…_

* * *

_Back to Karakura Town…_

* * *

~Ichigo's PoV~

"Whoa! Such a tiny stuffed thing can move. That's so odd," Renji shouted in amazement, examining Kon.

"Placing a gikongan (Soul Candy) into a stuffed doll? It's rather weird, but I'm sure that the Research and Development Department will enjoy the thought," Rangiku-san said, pulling on Kon's cheeks as of he was a kid and she was the obaa-san **(used in context of aunt, not grandma)**.

"Ahem," I interrupted Kon's torture.

"What's the matter?" Renji asked, still playing around with Kon.

"When are you guys going back?" I questioned.

"Not until the invasion is over at least," he answered. Having a wild thought, I couldn't help but feel like a hotel manager.

"That's fine and all, but not all of you guys can stay here you know," I said warily.

"Eh?" Rangiku-san squealed. "What good are you?"

"What good am I?" I repeated, offended. "Think about it yourselves! You would be staying here as freeloaders!" Rangiku-san looked at me silently as she began unbuttoning her shirt.

"Temptation won't work! I'm a real man!" I yelled, placing my hands over my face.

"At least close the gap between your fingers," Rukia said from somewhere behind me. A sudden thought occurred to me.

"Ah, Hikari said she was coming over," I realized aloud, letting my hands drop from my face. I turned to the window. "And whenever she comes over…" I looked at Toshiro who was sitting down on the windowsill, looking out into the sky. He noticed my staring and turned to me.

"What's with the look?" he asked sharply.

"Move!" I yelled just as a voice called out my name.

"Ichi-kun! Move it!" she yelled. Within a second, she flew in through the window, knocking heads with Toshiro and falling onto the floor together. This time, she was wearing jeans and an elbow-length shirt that was light blue.

"Itai!" Hikari cried out, holding her head. She opened her eyes and looked at the boy under her. She blinked and with surprisingly fast reflexes, she jumped up, a blush painted across her face.

"Su-Sumimasen," she apologized, hiding behind me. She looked around the room with curious eyes. She looked at them with shock, her embarrassment forgotten.

"Ah! It's you guys!" she exclaimed. "I thought I saw that silver hair somewhere before." Without warning, all five of them had their swords pointed at her throat, their gigai on the ground.

"Whoa! You guys knock it off! It's my neighbor. She's been able to see ghosts for a long time so it's no big deal!" I yelled, trying to turn myself around and protect her.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, take a step away from her. There's something wrong with her," Toshiro said, eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?" I screamed, holding her quivering wrist. "She's like me, with high reiatsu. She can see ghosts, and unlike me, she can control her reiatsu. What's wrong with that?"

"Ichi-nii!" I heard Karin's voice call from behind the door. "What's going on?"

"It's noth-" Hikari started, shakily. She cleared her throat and repeated it. "It's nothing. Ichi-kun is helping me practice for debate club. Don't mind the yelling, ok?" Though her voice sounded normal, her arm was still shaking. The swords at her neck glinted.

"Un!" I agreed, glancing at the door.

"Ichi-kun's a good partner," she continued, her voice a little shrill.

"She's winning though," I teased, trying to make it realistic.

"Ok," Karin answered. "Don't bother the neighbors." Her footsteps disappeared before Hikari and I let out a sigh of relief. Toshiro and I met eyes, reminding me about our predicament.

"We just want her to answer some questions," Toshiro said calmly.

"Put down your zanpakuto," I requested. Reluctantly, they lowered them, settling themselves back into my room.

"When I came to visit you, this was the last thing I expected," Hikari muttered under her breath.

"How come you can control your reiatsu so well?" Ikkaku asked her.

"Met a few Shinigami here and there. They taught me a little," Hikari answered, a far away look in her eyes. For a few seconds, it was silent.

"Why do you have a Soul Candy?" Rangiku-san asked, breaking the silence.

"One of the Shinigami I knew always passed by my house on his lookout route. I was little at the time, but he gave it to me to remember him one week. Apparently it was custom-made and super special to him. He never visited again," she answered. "I tried giving them to other Shinigami that were stationed since I didn't really know what to do with it, but most hadn't heard of him and those who did were scared so they wouldn't take it. Eventually, I just decided to keep it. It's much easier to leave my body too." Toshiro's eyes narrowed.

"His name," demanded Toshiro.

"Hm?" Hikari questioned, tilting her head.

"What was his name?" he asked.

"Zabuza. Momochi Zabuza," she answered. Toshiro let out a curse before sighing, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hand it to me," he ordered finally. "I'll get it checked out by the Research and Development Department later. It might be dangerous." Hikari looked offended, but she handed it over anyways.

"Is that it?" she asked a little sourly, sitting on the bed.

"For now," Renji answered. Hikari flopped back on my bed, sighing in relief.

"I hate interrogations," she muttered. She held a strand of hair between her fingers, playing with it. "I've never seen so many Shinigami at one place before. Is there some kind of war going on or something?" The room was dead silent and she sat up in surprise.

"Seriously?" she shrieked. "A war? Now?" She groaned, a look of distaste on her face.

"What's wrong with you?" Ikkaku asked.

"I promised someone that I wouldn't fight with Hollows for some time and of all times, it has to be when everyone is preparing for war!" she said, sitting up.

"Whoa, back up," Renji said. "Did you just say 'fight with Hollows'?"

"Hm? Yeah. Didn't Ichi-kun tell you guys?" she asked, pointing to herself. "I know just about every single fighting style there is out there and since I have the ability to eject my spiritual form from out of my body, I've fought with Hollows before."

"Show us," Toshiro demanded.

"Can't," she answered quickly.

"Why not? I'm sure it will be lovely," Yumichika commented for the first time.

"I promised I wouldn't. Besides, it irritates my illness. That's why I can't fight now," she answered, pouting.

"How do you eject your spiritual form?" Rangiku-san asked.

"Oh, now that I think about it, I'm not sure. It kind of comes naturally," she answered. "A lot of times lately, I try and lure the Hollow to a deserted place before fighting as a human though."

"When you fight them, where do you try and attack?" Ikkaku asked.

"On the face, right?" Hikari asked, pointing to her own face. It was silent as Toshiro flipped open his phone, looking for something. He closed it with a clack, perching himself on the windowsill.

"Let's go," he ordered.

"Eh?" Hikari questioned.

"We're going to play a game," he answered.

"What type?" Hikari asked.

"With Hollow," he said, before jumping out the door. A small grin came upon Hikari's face.

"Alright! I'm game! Come on Ichi-kun!" she yelled before jumping out the window after him.

"Oi! Matte!" I yelled, sticking my head out the window. Far off, I could see Toshiro jumping from roof to roof and Hikari following.

"Tch!" I grabbed the 'seal of approval' after my short grunt, jumping out the window after them. Before long, I could see the others following, their fake bodies left behind and hopefully not causing trouble.

"What does taicho think he's doing?" Rangiku-san muttered. "A silver-haired kid jumping around houses is bound to attract attention!"

"He should have a plan," Renji commented.

"Let's hope so," Ikkaku said. Looking around, I lost Hikari and Toshiro.

"Where'd they go?" I asked the others. They felt around for their reiatsu.

"I feel their reiatsu from that direction," she said, pointing a little left from our course. With that, we sped off. By the time we arrived on a building nearby, Toshiro and Hikari were attacking a Hollow with an old soccer ball in the middle of a park. People were watching the two, hitting the soccer ball high in the air and jumping high in the air to kick it back. They ran quickly when it bounced off of the Hollow, though to ordinary people, it would seem like it bounced off of the numerous trees that surrounded them.

"Oi!" Toshiro yelled, hitting it against the head of the Hollow before it ricocheted and headed towards Hikari. She smiled.

"Ok Itoko," she said as a cover for the staring audience. She kicked it back, making sure to smack the Hollow straight through the mask. It blew through the Hollow's head and dug itself into the ground. She looked surprised.

"Oh, gomen Itoko. That was your favorite soccer ball right?" she said with an apologetic look on her face as the Hollow dissipated. "Forgive me?" She clasped her hands in front of her and closed one eye.

"It was old anyway," Toshiro dismissed. "Besides, I got to see your super move." He turned his head.

"Kakkoii," he muttered. Hikari smiled.

"Itoko's so kawaii!" Hikari squealed, hugging him. The other people in the park turned around, uninterested, though a few kept on staring at the odd pair. Hikari let go of him and turned so that she was in front of him.

"Race you!" she called out.

"Iie," he said shortly.

"Oh come on!" she laughed before taking him by the wrist. The two ran down the street, one laughing the other yelling. Hikari met my eyes and after crossing the street, they jumped up onto the building we were on. Hikari bowed.

"How was the performance?" she asked, laughing.

"What…" I started.

"was…" Ikkaku and Yumichika continued in unison.

"that?…" Rangiku-san finished.

"A performance," Hikari answered, winking. She ruffled Toshiro's hair. "We're a good pair of performers, ne?"

"I honestly don't know how to answer that," I couldn't help but say. She laughed good-naturedly.

"Well, I was in the drama club in high school. Anyways, I better get home. I left the stove on. I made Ten-chan's favorite today," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"Ten-chan?" Rangiku-san questioned.

"Oh yeah. I'm letting Ten-chan stay over at my house. She's a Shinigami too. The people in her division are sharing my house too. Why don't you guys come over and stay?" she asked, smiling. "After all, I bet all of you guys were going to depend upon Ichi-kun for housing, ne?" She looked back up at the sky.

"Well, you guys don't have to decide now. Come stay at my house anytime," she offered before running off. She paused, turning back to look at us.

"The name is Hikari by the way. Ja ne!" she greeted before leaving.

"Odd girl," Toshiro commented shortly.

"You have no idea," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

In the end, all of us ended up going to her house, to satisfy our curiosity at the very least, while Kurosaki decided to escort us, muttering something unintelligible about his family. Without bothering to knock, he opened the door, calling out to her.

"Tadaima! Hikari!" he yelled out. "Everyone decided to stay at your place!" Her head popped out of what I assumed to be the dining room. She grinned.

"Hontoni? Good thing I made food for everyone just in case," she said, turning away, most likely back to the kitchen where pleasant aromas were drifting. "Tell them to take a seat! Dinner's almost ready! You too Ichi-kun!" We pulled off our shoes and took a seat in the large dining room. It was extravagant, but not overly so.

"Didn't you say you were housing other people?" Madarame pointed out as she brought over plates and utensils.

"Oh, they've already eaten," she answered casually. She passed around the plates and such before walking into the kitchen. She brought a large tray with bowls of rice and miso soup, which everyone passed around. After that was done, she went to the kitchen with Kurosaki and together, carried a large tray with a turkey on it, the smell sending many drooling. She looked at our faces and giggled, the sound like bell chimes, soft and peaceful.

"Help yourselves," she said, sitting down as well.

"Itadakimasu!" we said in unison, picking up our chopsticks. We introduced ourselves to her, but afterwards, the dinner was rather silent. But the food made it rather hard to focus on anything else. The rice was nice and fluffy while the chicken had been cooked to perfection. The miso soup was simple, but satisfying, and the dessert of apple pie was rich, but not overly so. The crust had been crisp, but the inside had been cooked so that it melted softly in one's mouth, leaving the lingering feeling and taste. Laughs broke out from her mouth and we looked at her curiously.

"When you guys eat, it's kawaii," was all she put up for explanation, as she took a bite of apple pie, effectively ending the topic. When we were all done, she took our plates and placed them in the sink before walking up the stairs, gesturing for us to follow.

The upstairs was spacious, containing two bathrooms and one for the master bedroom, hers, making a total of three. There were a total of four bedrooms—the master bedroom and three other smaller, but still large rooms. Two were right in front of the staircase and the other two were down opposite sides of the hall. The one down the right was hers, so she said anyways. The one on the left was her personal study, she had explained. Cabinets lined the hall and picture frames were hung on the walls here and there, most pictures of her and kids, including one that looked much like a younger Kurosaki.

On the sides of the two bedrooms in front of us were two bathrooms, each complete with toilet, two sinks, and shower. The first bathroom was made of soft blues and purples, a soft, peaceful sort of feel. The second bathroom was made of fierce reds and oranges, but was made to not be too overwhelming.

The bedroom next to the blue and purple bathroom was made of pastels and other soft colors, matching the bathroom. Two bunk beds, each covered with light blue and purple colors, were pushed into corners, on either side of a window, which was in the front. Matching dressers were pushed on the ends of the beds and one large, white desk was placed under the large window. The wall was a soft purple with light blue stripes. The ceiling had been painted with stars and in the center; the hanging ceiling light was shaped like a crescent moon.

The other bedroom was similar, except covered with the bright red and orange from the other bathroom. The walls were a light orange, though it was still rather bright, with red polka dots, varying in sizes. The ceiling had been painted as if the sun was setting behind two hills and the hanging ceiling light had been decorated to look as if the sun had decided to drop in.

Hikari gestured to the two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

"These two rooms are all yours. I like to call this blue and purple room the night room; the other room I call the day room. Pretty cool, right? I'll leave it to the two of you to decide who's sleeping where. I don't really mind. If you need me, I'll most likely be down on the left in my bedroom. Don't hesitate. Let's see…Oh right, you'll see Ten-chan and other members of Division…Division…What was it again?" she questioned, finger to her chin. "Oh right, it was Division E. You'll see them around. For now, they're sleeping in the attic. Oyasumi." She walked down the hall, giving us a backwards wave and completely missing my eyes narrowing. _What were they doing here? Only one of them were stationed here._

Matsumoto, Abarai, and I were somehow volunteered to sleep in the night room while Madarame and Ayasegawa slept in the day room. She brought in clothes for us, commenting that they might be a little large on us. Abarai was wearing red shorts and a white shirt with a smiling pineapple while Matsumoto was wearing a knee-length nightgown, which was indeed a little loose on her, not clinging to her body like usual. Madarame was wearing a white shirt with red polka dots and a pair of yellow gym shorts while Ayasegawa was wearing a similar outfit except with blue polka dots and green shorts. I had been given a white shirt and a pair of black pants that reached my knees.

"You'll have to excuse me. I have something to attend to," she said, leaving with a basket in hand. "I'm leaving Toshiro-kun in charge."

"Eh? Nani?" Matsumoto whined. Hikari seemed to think for a second.

"Put bluntly, he seems the most responsible," she said before shutting the door and hurrying off.

"No fair!" whined Matsumoto as Abarai, Madarame, and Ayasegawa got ready to sleep.

~Hikari/Hinata's PoV~

"Hime-chan?" I called out, opening the door.

"Oh! What are you doing here?" she asked, poking her head out of her room.

"I'm just here to visit. Some Shinigami friends are over at my house. I'm pretty sure you know them, but putting that aside, I've brought food for girl talk," I said, happy to see her eyes glittering. We sat down and she ate with her uninjured arm as she talked.

"I'm glad you came to visit. I always enjoy you're company and it's nice to have visitors. We-"

"What's bothering you?" I asked calmly.

"Hm?" she asked, being a little clueless.

"I'll definitely listen," I coaxed. There was a strange coat of silence.

"Kuchiki-san…she's pretty amazing isn't she?" she said slowly. "You do know Kuchiki-san, right?" I nodded, knowing where this might be going.

"Well, when Kurosaki-kun was so down, she just talked to him and he's back to normal now…I feel useless," she said slowly. "Kurosaki-kun can do amazing things and Kuchiki-san can help people feel better. What a great thing. That's why I'm rather envious. She's so kind…so strong…and so pure…She even has this chemistry with Kurosaki-kun that I don't have even though I've known him longer. " Tears pushed against her eyes, running down her cheeks.

"At school, I don't feel this way, but being alone at home, it's hard to…" she trailed off. I stood up and sat down next to her, pulling her close. She leaned against me in silence.

"You know, Orihime, I have to admit that she is rather something. Demo…Orihime, you're you. She can do what she can, but there are also things that she can't do. There are things that you can do and can't do. The two of you are both special to him, but in your own ways. You're both unique. Don't worry," I said, running my fingers through her hair. Like a river, tears flowed as I held her close, listening to her nearly unintelligible murmurs. After the tears had dried, I got up.

"I need to go out. Do you want to come?" I asked her.

"I will. Arigato," she thanked. I smiled.

"Don't bother thanking me. It's my job, is it not?" I asked before shutting the door. At my next stop, I opened the door without knocking again, greeting her parents with Hime-chan slightly hiding beside me.

"I'll be visiting Suki-chan," I told them, opening the door. She had just taken a shower, I could tell.

"Hey Suki-chan," I greeted.

"Oh, it's Hikari-chan and Orihime," she said dryly. I took a seat at the edge of her bed next to her as Hime-chan took a seat beside her. After the general worry over Hime-chan and the various injuries died down, silence blanketed the room comfortably.

"What's the matter?" I finally asked as her face mixed into confusion.

"I know that something's going on with you. You saw, ne?" I asked, turning to her. "You saw us as ghosts." Her eyes widened.

"Are you going to explain?" she asked slowly. I stayed silent.

"At the moment, I'm unsure," I said shortly before familiar reiatsu registered into my mind. I hid my reiatsu quickly before jumping out the window and landed on the ground. Eyes widening, I jumped up, barely dodging the attack mid-air. I cursed.

~No One's PoV~

The moon shined brightly, making the shadow of a person on the roof darker. Seeing 5 people approaching, one word left his mouth.

"Finally." He stood up.

"No one was detected, right?" he asked the approaching group. The moonlight revealed his identity as Grimmjow Jeagerjaques and the five as his followers, one being Shawlong Kufong.

"Of course not," Shawlong answered automatically. "However, there are some entities with noticeable reiatsu, which were not mentioned in Ulquiorra's report." Grimmjow cursed.

"Let's use pesquisa," he ordered. A light surrounded them before dispersing, much like sonar. Grimmjow opened his eyes.

"Tch. Like I thought. They got reinforcements now. Be careful. Those cowards…" he ordered, muttering to himself a bit.

"Rinker Di Roy. Kufang Shawlong. Reonesu Edorado. Granz Ylfordt. Gurindina Nakimu," he called to his Fraccion. "If anyone, and I don't care who, shows even the slightest bit of reiatsu, f***ing kill them. Just kill them all. Don't let any one of them escape!" With that order in mind, they split up.

"This reiatsu," Ichigo said in surprise. "Rukia!"

"I'm not stupid!" she yelled back, flipping her phone open. "1…2…6? 6 of them!"

"Are they headed here?" Ichigo asked quickly.

"Iie. It seems as if they're combing the town," she answered, eyes wide. She paused before her eyes lit in realization. "They're going to kill anyone with reiatsu. They're planning a massacre!"

"Ishida doesn't have spiritual power. But Chad and Orihime!" he shouted in alarm.

"Orihime and Sado are both in danger! Orihime is near someone with reiatsu. Demo all the Shinigami are in Hikari's home," she said quickly, her phone emitting beeps rapidly. She turned to look at him. "There's one already there!"

"Where?" Ichigo demanded.

"With both of them!" Rukia answered back, panic in her eyes as she referred to Orihime and Chad.

Outside, Ikkaku and Yumichika jumped away, looking for a deserted place to fight and found the park from earlier. Hitsugaya swallowed a gikongan and ordered his gigai to hide with the other two males'. Renji ran out of the house, the opposite direction of Ikkaku and Yumichika as Matsumoto jumped onto the roof.

"Get ready Matsumoto," he ordered. "They're here."

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

An Arrancar sped into being.

"How do you do?" asked the skinny man. _So fast…!_ Our swords met with a loud _clang!_ as I blocked his attack to my back.

"I am Undecimo Arrancar, Shawlong," he introduced.

"Jubuntai-taicho Hitsugaya Toshiro at your service," I returned. Our swords brushed off of each other with a high note.

"A taicho? I hit the jackpot," Shawlong said in an emotionless voice.

"Iie. You've picked the unluckiest," I answered back as my reiatsu rose. His eyes narrowed as our swords clashed once again.

~Sado/Chad's PoV~

"It's ok," I assured the two pixie-like creatures of Inoue's before exiting out of my home at a run.

"You lose!" a voice croaked to me before a hand nearly ripped through me. A hand caught his just in time.

"Cut the 'you lose' trash," Ichigo said in his Shinigami garb. "The winner is only determined after the fight." The boy laughed.

"Then I look forward to saying it after I kill you both. It doesn't matter who it is! You all lose!" he cackled viciously. The guy jumped back and Ichigo took hold of his zanpakuto. _I almost died. If Ichigo had been one second later, I would have died, I'm sure._

"Chad, get out of the way," his voice cracked my train of thought. Panic flooded through me.

"Ichigo! If this is about my wound-"

"Chad," he said, cutting off my sentence. "Stand back. It's alright. Leave it to me." I understood.

"Alright Ichigo…I'll leave it…to you," I said slowly before running off. I nearly crashed into Kuchiki Rukia, but I kept on running, lost in my own thoughts.

_Ichigo…The way things are,_ 'watching each others' backs' _can only be a sad joke, huh? The way things turned out, we can't even fight side-by-side anymore, can we? Ichigo?_

~Rukia's PoV~

"Hm?" the boy said. "I still haven't decided how to kill you yet." His white puffy pants and white open jacket stood out against the black night. His pale skin, light hair, and the white football-like mask on his head made him stand out all the more. A mint green cloth was wrapped around one side of his mask and head, covering one eye. His zanpakuto was in his hands and his hole on his chest.

"Ichigo, what did you say to Chad?" I asked.

"Nothing. I just told him to step back and let me handle him," he said, eyes focused on his opponent. I sighed.

"Get out of the way Ichigo," I ordered, pulling out a gikongan.

"Wha-? What are you-" he started saying. He looked at the container in my hands. "That's-!"

"I'm telling you to get out of the way and let me handle this one," I repeated, swallowing the Soul Candy. "After all, you're getting a big head." Smoke filled the area.

"Risking your life so recklessly before a big battle will only make your situation more dire," I stated as the smoke cleared and my gigai crouched down next to me.

"Rukia…you…Does this mean…?" his question left unasked.

"Surprised? The only reason I couldn't before was because of the baka gigai Urahara gave me. Once I ditched it and stayed at the Seireitei, it was only a matter of time," I answered the hanging subject. "Isn't it obvious?" As ordered, my gikongan helped Ichigo…ah…stand back.

"This is the most popular one. I was originally asking for this one to put in your body earlier, but as you know, we got Kon instead," I supplied some information.

"You were planning to put _this_ in my body?" he yelled, trying to push the gikongan away. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but this makes Kon look like a godsend!" An attack interrupted the conversation. I held my sword up, barely blocking. We skid several yards and faintly I could hear Ichigo call my name. He stopped and I jumped against a telephone pole, propelling myself towards him. He blocked my sword with his arm.

"Dieciseis. (16) Di Roy," he introduced.

"Jusanbuntai-" I started.

"Oh, don't bother saying it. It will be annoying especially if I had to hear the name of every single person I was going to kill tonight," he said, waving his hand casually.

"Sodesuka," I said slowly. "Then let me trouble you to hear one single name tonight." I held up my zanpakuto.

"That of my blade. Mae, Sode no Shirayuki," I said, turning the zanpakuto, which turned white in response. A ribbon appeared from the bottom of the hilt and my grip tightened against the familiar sensation.

"Some no mai, Tsukishiro," I said as a circle appeared around him. Panic swam through him as ice climbed his legs and torso.

"What the h311?" he yelled, panic swimming in his eyes. He jumped up, a mock expression plastered onto his face.

"How regrettable! Air battling is my specialty!" he yelled from the air above my circle. "Even if your sword can freeze everything on the ground, it's useless to me!" He cackled while a Cero was charging in front of one eye.

"Regrettable it is," I muttered just as a pillar of ice formed, climbing into the sky. "For you see, everything within the circle can be frozen. The ground. The air…and you. Everything within the circle has its fate sealed." The ice cracked from behind me and as the pieces fell cruelly against the ground, I walked back to Ichigo and the gikongan, who were currently in the middle of wrestling.

"Itai!" he yelled as she almost broke his arms.

"What are you two doing?" I questioned.

"Rukia! Daijobou?" he asked, ignoring my inquiry. "Where's the other guy! Is he dead?"

"Of course!" I answered. "If not, I wouldn't be here!"

"That zanpakuto…" he muttered.

"Sode no shirayuki," said my gikongan as I surveyed the area. She explained to him as I looked around, trying to find if there was any trap, a hidden motive.

"It was too easy," I muttered to myself before a sudden, heavy reiatsu made its appearance.

"What is this?" a loud voice cried out. "Di Roy was killed? And the killers are still standing! Don't think you're home free! I'm going to kill you! I'm the Sexta (6) Arrancar Grimmjow! Remember it!"

~No One's PoV~

"Oh, Di Roy's been finished off," commented Shawlong.

"That scum! We went to all the trouble to bring him along and he gets killed? Even with Aizen-sama's gift, he was still no better than before," shouted Yylfordt. His long, light blond hair floated against an invisible breeze as did his slightly open coat of the standard Arrancar uniform, showing his Hollow hole. A helmet-like remnant of his mask remained while his zanpakuto was strapped to his waist.

"The one that fought that guy was _lucky_," commented Edorado. "Even though he looked like an Arrancar, he didn't deserve that rank!" He was a burly man with half of his black hair shaved and the other half dyed in a bright red that could only be likened to blood. The standard Arrancar uniform had been custom-fitted for his broad shape and the jacket had been left open, revealing the Hollow hole. A sunglass-like piece on his nose was all that was left of his mask while his zanpakuto was on his hip.

"He was a failure! Although," said Edorado, aiming his fist at Ikkaku and Yumichika, "the two of you who have to fight me have no luck at all!" The two dodged and a fight just began. Yumichika held back as Ikkaku took him on.

Being blown through a wall had definitely not been part of the plan. His bleeding head only seemed to emphasize the horror of it. Ikkaku's head rang and it took him a second to get back on his feet. He was lucky. He was involved in a place with strong enemies and he was still under _his_ division. He had a roof over his head that he didn't have to look for and she was really nice and good at cooking. The thoughts had him smiling.

"Oi. Arrancar," he called out, fired up. "I haven't heard your name."

"I'm Arrancar Trece (13) and why don't we leave it at that?" he said chuckling. "It'll be fine just knowing me as the guy who ripped you apart."

"You guys have weird traditions," Ikkaku commented.

"Eh?" Edorado questioned.

" 'Announcing your rank and name' is a custom of my division. It's the final courtesy to let the one who falls in battle to know who was the one that killed 'im," Ikkaku explained, pulling out his zanpakuto and sheathe.

"Sanseki of Zaraki's division. Madarame Ikkaku," he introduced. "As for the lowlives who ignore this tradition, I simply kill them after they know who did them in." Sword clashed against arm, the sound resounding around the streets.

"The h311? How come you don't use your zanpakuto?" Ikkaku asked, attacking Edorado furiously. "Don't tell me it's just for show!"

"We Arrancar have Hierro skin. It makes your swords dull, unable to pierce through my skin. It is as though you are trying to beat me with your bare fists!" Edorado explained, blocking the strikes vigorously.

"Is that so?" Ikkaku asked, taking a strong step. His zanpakuto clanged against Edorado's own. The two pushed against each other, neither side willing to yield.

"Interesting. You know enough to tell whether or not the amount of force can slice off your arm or not," Ikkaku said, a smile crawling up his face. The two traded blows, bantering to and fro while Yumichika stood some feet away. He noticed a frozen student, staring at the two battling.

"Oh, you're from earlier," Yumichika commented.

"What are they doing?" Keigo squeaked. "Hold on! You're his companion aren't you? Shouldn't you go help him? He's bleeding a lot and…and…!"

"You misunderstand. In our division, it is 'we must help each other,' but rather it is 'we must never help each other.' It is all about the sport of battle," Yumichika explained.

"What if he dies?" Keigo yelled in surprise.

"If that is what is meant to be, then it will be fine," Yumichika said seriously. He looked at Keigo. "You should probably leave now. I'd hate to scare you, but he gets carried away at times." Keigo stood there shocked for a few seconds before nodding slowly and running off.

His movements are too obvious was the main thought of Edorado. _He has a powerful arm, but he always strikes with the zanpakuto on his left and defends with his sheathe on the right. It's too easy. Once I see what arm you strike with, taking you down is no question!_

Smashing the ground, he blocked Ikkaku's right attack only to find it was a defense by his sheathe. From the dust, Ikkaku's blade glinted before Edorado pushed him away, skidding a few feet. A semi-large cut marred his face, blood splattering on the ground.

"Tch. Can't believe I messed it up. I was aiming to take off your whole head too," Ikkaku snorted.

_His battle plan is predictable on purpose. What a guy. He's not aiming to win. In fact, it seems as if he simply wants to take as much 'fun' out of it as possible. Fine. Fun you want? Fun you get! The price will be your life!_ He noticed Ikkaku's rather relaxed stance. Edorado tensed as Ikkaku swished something around in his mouth. Reaching in, he pulled out two teeth.

"Charging up your reiatsu in your hand like that, what a trick," Ikkaku said, staring at the now broken molars. "You even took out two of my teeth. I'll get new ones later." Ikkaku stretched out, eyes on the ground.

"Time for round two?" he questioned. "I'm starting to get your movements. Soon, whether you like it or not, I'll have you release your zanpakuto."

"Sodesuka. I seem to have misread you. You don't care about winning or anything as such, do you?" Edorado questioned, pulling out his zanpakuto. "People like you, I can't help but fight until they're chopped into tiny pieces! I'll make sure you never fight another Arrancar again!"

"Okiro Volcanica," Edorado said as Ikkaku could only stare.

"The h311?" he questioned.

"Isn't that a little harsh?" Edorado questioned. "This is how we Arrancar release our zanpakuto." His mask had extended, making wing-like parts that spread from his face. A white substance like his mask had coated and enlarged his arms, going on and creating a form that was not unlike his new mask.

"This time I'll follow your custom," Edorado said. "I am Arrancar Trece (13) Reones Edorado, the Arrancar who is about to kill you."

~Ichigo's PoV~

We could only stare as the guy with the jet-blue hair walked down, a cruel smile glued to his face. Compared to the others, his reiatsu was off the charts, oozing in power.

"Which one is it?" he asked as Rukia flinched.

"Well?" the guy yelled. "Which one of you is the strongest?" Rukia let out half of a curse before turning to me.

"Ichigo! Fall back-!" she said just before a hand ripped though her stomach, the blood gushing against his arm and the pavement.

"I knew it," he smirked. "It's not you."

"Le…Leave," she murmured before falling on the floor, red painted against the black pavement. Black filled my vision. Everyone would say that rage is red, full of blood, but Hikari had shared that rage was a black, a darkness that blinded you and everything around you. I could faintly recall that Hikari had told a story to me when I was little and she warned me of the black rage that would always take over a person, consuming them and blinding them. However, that warning was the last thing on my mind. I could only think of that man with his smirk and Rukia who was lying on the floor, not moving.

"Rukia!" I called out in fear and the black rage, rushing over to her.

~Ikkaku's PoV~

"We Arrancar seal the core of our power in the form of a sword, completely unlike you Shinigami," Edorado explained. "In other words, when we release our zanpakuto, we also release our true powers and our true form." I could hardly believe what I was hearing, but the proof was standing undeniably before me.

"You will find quickly the gap with my true power," he said coolly before a sudden attack sent me flying. Faintly between the clashes and grunts, I could hear Yumichika asking for permission for fields and for a grave. I smirked. _Yeah right!_ A fist punched me from overhead and my eyes narrowed against the dust. Another blow attacked my head, making my mind spin. He laughed.

"The combat efficiency of an Arrancar released, is increased several times over! Every single Shinigami is facing what you are right now!" he yelled, laughing. My eyes opened a crack as I flew parallel to the ground. Slamming my sheathe and sword, I called out my shikai.

"Nobiro, Hozukimaru!" I yelled, trying to attack him. I could barely see the attack that had been fired at me, but I knew that whatever wounds I had received weren't shallow. Blood poured from my every wound as I flew towards the ground, crashing harshly on my back. Edorado spoke to me, but my head pounded and his words were unintelligible to me. As his fist rose for a killing blow, a foot connected to his face and sent him skidding. I could barely lift my head, but the silhouette I saw was faintly familiar.

"Oi. This is my fight," I slurred out. A pair of cool hands pressed against my wounds and gently flipped me over, my back contacting the dusty ground. A soothing sensation rubbed against my wounds and my brain cleared a bit. I turned my head and saw Hikari with a small container in hand. I looked up and saw a brown blur annoying Edorado, keeping his attention focused on the pest.

"I know," Hikari whispered. "I'm just going to seal some of your more deadly wounds so that it'll be easier to heal you after you win. Confidence is key to success."

"You're…okay?" _with all this blood? Aren't you scared?_

"If you're totally covered in blood, I'll have to make you sleep in the yard for a night," she joked, completely unfazed. "I've met several people from your division, but you're the most loyal. Good luck and go kick his butt." She helped him up, not minding the blood that smeared across her outfit. I stretched a bit before running towards Edorado. The blur that had been attacking him jumped away and landed next to Hikari, but I paid no mind.

"I didn't want anyone else to find out about this though I suppose it won't make a difference at the moment," I stated. "Watch closely. Don't tell a soul." Edorado's eyes widened in surprise and the smirk on my face only grew bigger.

"Bankai!" I shouted.

"A bankai?" Edorado muttered in surprise.

"Yup. This is my bankai," I confirmed. "Ryumon Hozukimaru." The blades that I held were familiar, and yet foreign. How long had it been since I had held Hozukimaru in this form, I wondered. I got down into an attack position, waiting.

"That was unexpected," I heard Hikari mumble behind me. "I'll be going now." I heard her walk away with the other shadowed person.

"This is impressive," Edorado complimented.

"Don't compliment me," I replied. "After all, I have not yet released any reiatsu worthy of praise just yet." I leaned forward, my foot grinding against the dirt.

"Whether or not it is worthy," I said, my muscles waiting. "is decided by your death!" I charged, jumping into the air as he followed suit, his face serious. We attacked each other in unison, the blows facing head on. A large cut ran through his hand, the blood spurting out. I jumped again and aimed to cut through his face. I could see his eyes widen and disbelief paint his features before he raised his arms as a defense. I cut through about half of his arm before I jumped back as he attempted to attack me. A new fresh set of bruises and cuts littered my body, but it was bearable. I swung Hozukimaru around and I knew that the dragon above me was slowly turning red and waking. I observed Edorado before I spoke.

"So you finally noticed?" I questioned. "As you know, Hozukimaru is a lot different than other guys. Usually, they sleep until bankai. See, but Hozukimaru is awake the whole time. He's super lazy though. So whether it's me hurting you or you hurting me, it slowly makes him be serious. When that engraving of the dragon above me fills up, Hozukimaru becomes his most destructive!" I could see Edorado's eyes widen with realization. I stopped spinning Hozukimaru.

"Let's go," I cried out as the two of us unleashed the greatest attack. Pain exploded from my body and I could feel Hozukimaru being ripped out from my fingers as a mental yell from him was barely heard over the collision sound. I looked at the destroyed sword in my hand before cursing. Then, I lost control of the reiatsu holding me up and I hurtled to the ground.

"Madarame Ikkaku was it?" I could faintly hear Edorado mutter. "I'm glad I asked." I looked up as he flew towards the ground as well, half of his abdomen blown away.

I tightened my grip on Hozukimaru and recalled the only other time I had been pushed this far…with Taicho.

I remembered when Renji was pushing for me to be a taicho and my explanation against it.

Slowly, I began crawling away. A pair of feet appeared in my vision.

"Oh, I knew you were alive," Yumichika stated.

"Of course I am!" I answered, flipping myself onto my back. "I was extremely lucky today though. _Extremely_ lucky." Yumichika chuckled.

"Oh yeah," I realized. "Where did Hikari go?"

"Oh, I do believe she went to go help some of the others out," he answered.

"Good for them," I muttered, taking in deep breathes.

"I suppose so," Yumichika laughed. "Hopefully, they'll be as lucky as you were." I laughed too.

"Let's hope so," I replied. "Let's hope so."

~No One's PoV~

Renji breathed hard, bruises lining his body. His bankai was already released, coiled around him as the Arrancar he fought with, Yylfordt, calmly looked at him.

Toshiro had a large cut above his brow along with many other injuries littering his body. A large slash was on his abdomen and his breath made little white puffs against the chilly night air. He had his bankai released as well, two frozen flowers floating behind him.

Matsumoto was next to him, a cut on her upper arm. Her breath made identical little clouds as she tried to control her breathing.

The duo's opponent had brought over his friend, a rather chubby Arrancar who introduced himself as Nakimu Gurindina, Catorce (14). His mask remnant covered half of his face and his brown hair was cut in a bowl shape. He was missing an arm and the blood that continued to flow revealed that it was a recent injury.

Ice shards littered the air and Hitsugaya glanced at Matsumoto who was breathing too hard.

"So this is the level of a taicho," Shawlong said disappointedly. "It seems that I was quite wrong about you."

* * *

Renji launched an attack against his opponent, but with a quick flick of his zanpakuto, his attack was blown away. Within a blink of an eye, Yylfordt appeared in front of Renji and a large cut across his abdomen sent pain surging through his body. Renji cursed before slicing at Yylfordt who began laughing.

"Is that all you have brother?" Yylfordt asked. **(Brother is said in English.)** "That's your bankai even though you're a fukutaicho?" He laughed some more. "I'm sure that you're one of the Gotei 13's finest!"

Off to the side, the Urahara Shop lay. Hanakari Jinta, a red-haired boy, sat on the roof. A white shirt with the shop's logo and jeans with folded cuffs was his outfit. He scratched his head, looking at the ongoing fight. A foot stepped beside him. Tsumugiya Ururu stepped out. She was dressed in yellow and red polka dot pajamas. Her hair was up in two ponytails though some strands were on her face and her normally soft eyes were blank.

"Didn't I tell you to sleep?" Jinta called to her before his eyes widened as he turned to her. _Genocide mode!_

"Matte! Ururu!" he shouted as she jumped into the air towards the Arrancar. He cursed as Yylfordt made a move to finish Renji off. Suddenly, Yylfordt was blown away from a kick to the face, blood flowing freely from a head wound. Yylfordt stared at it with disbelief. He put a hand to his wound, staring at it after without trust. His eyes widened.

"You-! You little b****!" Yylfordt yelled out in anger. He attacked her, watching her skid as he muttered to himself in anger.

She paused, blood splattered on her face and clothes, the warmth in her eyes almost like a dream now. Yylfordt screamed in defiance and pulled out his zanpakuto as Renji cursed.

"Tsukikudake, Derutoro," Yylfordt spat out. Smoke crawled everywhere and a thin, white, curved horn impaled Ururu, the blood on her face and body no longer an enemy's, but her own. Renji stood in disbelief as the smoke cleared and revealed the newly transformed Yylfordt. A bone-like, white substance had covered his entire upper body, forming the shape of a bull, much like the name had implied. The substance had also covered his face, leaving two holes for his eyes, molding itself over his face in the shape of a muzzle and elongating into two long, curved horns, one which had Ururu impaled on it. His arms were silhouetted as if distinct muscles were to be outlined while his bulky upper body was slightly slouched.

"This is how we Arrancar release our zanpakuto, Brother," Yylfordt said to the shocked Renji. The girl who was on Yylfordt's horn was thrown away, her blood gushing in the air before bursting into a cloud of smoke.

"Wha-?" Yylfordt got out before Jinta threw an attack at him with his Kanabo, the large bulky weapon that stood no chance against Yylfordt's new shield. Jinta's eyes widened before Yylfordt made a move to stab Jinta as he had done with the disappeared-Ururu. However, the blood left on the horn this time stayed though Jinta was not. A few yards off of them, Hikari was crouching, a large gash from her left shoulder to mid-back at a diagonal. Ururu was lying, completely uninjured in front of her while Jinta was crouched worriedly beside Hikari. Renji's bankai was released, heading towards Yylfordt at breakneck speed. Easily, Yylfordt's new armor penetrated Renji's bankai, going so far as to pass it and attack Renji himself. Yylfordt laughed maniacally in confidence.

"I'll now let you know my name brother! It's an honor! I am Arrancar Quince (15), Grantz Yylfordt! Remember it well!" Yylfordt finally introduced to Renji, still laughing maliciously.

* * *

"Oh Yylfordt has also released? He must have been too excited and jumped the gun," Shawlong noted, looking away carelessly in his battle. "But, the possibility that he was forced to release due to some unforeseen circumstance…Iie. It is not even remotely possible." He was broken from his reverie when Hitsugaya launched an attack, taking advantage of Shawlong's distracted attention. However, Shawlong easily redirected Hitsugaya's trajectory, muttering an insult in its wake.

"It's not over yet," Hitsugaya warned with a sharp gaze just as an ice dragon from his tail soared behind Shawlong, a direct hit that though powerful, freezing Shawlong's arm, was easily broken with a sharp flick of Shawlong's wrist. Hitsugaya cursed under his breathe, breathing heavily.

"Hmm…" Shawlong noticed. "Flicking your tail out so desperately can only mean one thing…you have reached your limit, haven't you?" He paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "They're disappearing aren't they? The flowers of ice behind you?"

"If they are?" Hitsugaya questioned.

"Perhaps they serve a purpose?" Shawlong pointed out, suggesting the idea. "An imperative purpose indeed. A 'countdown.' A countdown until your bankai is finished. Am I mistaken? You are but a child. It is no surprise that in order to control that vast amount of power that there must be a limit to maintain it in its best form. Honestly, I'm impressed. Holding bankai for such a long period of time so well. The petals of your ice flowers, they are slowly falling one by one. And I presume that when all have scattered into the air, your bankai will disappear." Hitsugaya breathed heavily, the lone flower behind him, with one fallen petal, now remaining three.

"There was 12 petals in the beginning, but now only a quarter remain, only 3 left. After your bankai disappears, killing you will become such a menial task," Shawlong insulted coolly. "However, it would be rude to a taicho. So as a courtesy, I will destroy you before that end at my full strength." He lifted his zanpakuto from its sheath, holding it in front of him.

"Tate, Tihereta," he muttered. Smoke rose, blinding Hitsugaya for a moment before clearing, revealing Shawlong's newest form. A white substance, just like with Edorado and with Yylfordt, was now over his entire body. It encased his upper body with a bone-like pattern, covering his arms in stick-like designs with large pincers for fingers. A tail was created behind him, even more claw-like objects at its end. Hitsugaya's eyes widened as Shawlong's eyes met his, just as a large gaping wound opened up on Hitsugaya's torso, from his shoulder to hip, as Shawlong disappeared just for a moment. Hitsugaya looked at the wound with disbelief, teetering from the blood loss.

"I will allow you the honor of hearing my name. I am Arrancar Undecimo (11), Kufang Shawlong," Shawlong stated with arrogance. "It has been quite a pleasure knowing you, chibi taicho-san." Down below on the roof of a building where the duo had run, Rangiku held onto a small transmitter, feigning unconsciousness while the armless Arrancar watched her.

Despite the wound, Hitsugaya launched attack after attack, his breaths slowly becoming more and more labored, more tiring, more _painful_.

"Hmm…" Shawlong thought. "As expected of a taicho! Standing—fighting even—after such harsh wounds! What a grand display of power! Just amazing!"

"Tch," Hitsugaya grunted. "Kufang Shawlong is it? Allow me to ask a question. Since you are Arrancar Undecimo, in other words, the eleventh one, would that, in the hierarchy of Arrancar, make you the eleventh strongest?"

"Iie. The numbers we wear reflect our ages, not our strengths," Shawlong answered. "However, that only applies to those who are numbered 11 and below." He paused seeing the surprise written on Hitsugaya's face.

"I shall put it into more clear terms," he decided. "The turning from the Hogyoku is our 'birth' as we call it. We are given number from 11 and below starting from our births. Then, from amongst us all, those with particularly destructive and frightening capabilities are chosen, handpicked. Those with the honor are numbered from 1-10. Those chosen ten are known as the "Espada" and somewhere on their body is a tattoo with the number as proof. They are given complete authority over all of us who are 11 and below." Shawlong paused, lifting his claws and looking between them at the young taicho.

"Let me put it very clearly for you. Those who are Espada have powers incomparable to ours. They are in a completely different _dimension_. From those within the group of us who came today, I will warn you that there is one, the Sexta (6) Espada who was chosen by Aizen himself, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."

* * *

Ichigo threw an attack at Grimmjow, the black rage invading his vision, consuming his being. However, Grimmjow only lifted an arm lazily, just flicking his wrist and sending Ichigo flying back. Ichigo cursed, surprised.

"Oi oi Shinigami!" Grimmjow called out calmly. "You takin' me lightly? I don't feel like killin' you when you attack me like that. Give it your all and come at me! Let's see your bankai. If you're not careful, just like that torn-up Shinigami over there, I'll rip a hole through you too!"

"B******!" Ichigo cursed. "Bankai!"

"So that's it, hm?" Grimmjow noted, unimpressed.

* * *

Hitsugaya threw a glance at Rangiku, anger and impatience welling up inside of him. _Still? At this rate, it'll be too late! How much longer must we wait? They're too slow! _Static crackled in the transmitter Rangiku held.

"Jubantai fukutaicho, Matsumoto Rangiku-san, your 'limit-lifting' application has been processed," a voice spoke over the small device. By then, Gurindina, the armless Arrancar, had noticed the transmitter and with quick work, aimed a large step on Rangiku's hand. However easily, Rangiku kept his foot in the air with a single wrist. She held the transmitter close to her mouth now.

"Arigato," she thanked before calling out as the person on the other side of the transmitter hung up. "Taicho! Renji! We're cleared!"

"Finally!" Hitsugaya complained.

"I've been waiting to do this all day!" Renji cheered.

"Nani?" Shawlong asked. The three Shinigami pulled back their tops, revealing a flower tattoo on their breast. The black flower slowly turned white as in unison they shouted.

"Limit release!"

A white light surrounded the three, a strong wind combing against their opponents.

"A limit release?" Shawlong repeated.

"Nani?" Yylfordt questioned. The two asked an identical question from their distanced positions, both equally unprepared for the attack, which injured them. The three looked revitalized, no longer tired or panting of exhaustion.

"The limit release…" Hitsugaya began to explain.

"…is a process that is implemented upon all taicho and fukutaicho (and some others) upon entering the Human World as to not cause any added effects," Renji elaborated.

"When coming to the Human World, all taicho and fukutaicho hold a symbol on their body, one's own division symbol," Rangiku added.

"This puts an extreme restraint on the reiatsu of the holder. It cuts off, roughly, 80% of our capabilities," Hitsugaya continued to explain. "In other words…"

"After breaking our limiters, our power," Rangiku said in unison.

"…is now quintupled at the least," Renji finished, landing a fierce attack on Yylfordt. Yylfordt tried to stop Renji's bankai in vain, shocked by the difference.

Rangiku blocked Gurindina's punch, her face calm.

"You know, you're quite slow. When you first appeared, you shot toward us with an amazing speed, right? Why don't you do that again? Oh…what was it called?" Rangiku wondered. Gurindina faded from her sight, appearing behind her.

"Sonido," he answered, ready to attack her. Rangiku turned slightly, cool.

"That's it," she recognized, now behind Gurindina after a finishing blow. Gurindina looked at her with disbelief. "We Shinigami call it shunpo." Blood gushed from his wound.

"It's over Shawlong," Hitsugaya voiced, his cool demeanor slipping off of him in waves.

"Unare, Haineko," Rangiku mumbled, her sword automatically dispersing and attacking.

"Ryusenka," Hitsugaya murmured, his eyes flashing as ice formed over his zanpakuto.

"Hikotsu Taiho," Renji called enthusiastically, a red light spreading throughout his bankai sword before firing a red beam at Yylfordt.

"Retreat!" Shawlong shouted, realizing their precarious positions.

"You believe we'll let you escape so easily?" Hitsugaya asked as the three attempted to flee. With ease, Hitsugaya caught up with Shawlong and was impaled by his Ryusenka attack, the ice shattering and marking his end. Gurindina was automatically caught up in Rangiku's fierce shikai, engulfed in its hazy beauty before disappearing in a mass of blood. Yylfordt only had a moment before Renji's attack collided with his body. The three Shinigami stood victoriously, unaffected by the trouble they had faced only moments before.

Hitsugaya's final petal faded away as his wounds reopened, blood splattering. Rangiku caught him, hysterical.

"It's okay," Hikari said, putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her. She brought Orihime and Tatsuki beside her. Without a hesitation, Orihime began healing Hitsugaya, trying to fix as many injuries as she was able as Tatsuki looked on in worry and confusion.

* * *

Renji fell on the ground, his knees meeting the ground harshly as the remnants of his sword fell to the ground cacophonously. _S***. I'm thankful for the opening the b****** gave me from the shock of the limit release. If he didn't, who knows what would have happened. If I had been 100% from the beginning, what would have happened? Are all Arrancar this powerful? S***. If it's true, Ichigo be careful. _

A hand stopped Renji from falling.

"You're…!" Renji recognized.

"Come on. Let's get you patched up," she said, lifting the redhead up. "And I'm not you. I go by TenTen, and yes, I'm staying over with Hikari like you guys."

* * *

Ichigo's attack met the ground, missing Grimmjow. His eyes flickered to Grimmjow first, his sword following through viciously. Grimmjow caught it with his bare hand, smirking coolly. With a sharp tug, he threw Ichigo and his zanpakuto over his shoulder, using minimal effort. Ichigo skid past many buildings, cursing, as he righted himself up by jumping into the air. He barely had a moment to blink before Grimmjow was suddenly upon him, throwing his own swift attack. However, the attack from before had slightly cleared his clouded mind and Ichigo dodged, appearing behind Grimmjow. The two met eyes as Grimmjow dodged Ichigo's powerful jab. The two met eyes again, Grimmjow smirking as he threw his own punches and kicks, his own onslaught of attacks. The furious attacks hit Ichigo with great strength, throwing him down on the ground with the final drop kick.

"Tch. That's a bankai?" Grimmjow insulted shortly, his face distorted with displeasure. "Don't make me depressed Shinigami! All that's happened is an increase in speed, am I right?" Grimmjow's eyes narrowed in on the flying debris, the dust creating a thick fog, which began to swirl around Ichigo as he released another attack.

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo shouted, firing the sharp crescent-shaped beam of reiatsu at Grimmjow with great speed and strength. Grimmjow put his arms up for a defense, shocked, the impact creating a mass of smoke. Ichigo breathed heavily as Grimmjow admired the attack, which left a large gash from his left shoulder to his right hip.

"What the h311 was that? That little trick of yours wasn't in Ulquiorra's report!" Grimmjow shouted.

"Did that cure your 'depression' Arrancar?" Ichigo asked in between pants. Black began to flood Ichigo's vision, a black which was all too familiar.

"S***!" Ichigo cursed, putting a hand to his face. "Just wait a little longer. Just a bit…"

* * *

Elsewhere, a Garuganta opened, a piercing black that blocked the moonlight, darkening the world before it. A distinct white outfit was unveiled. Followed by a dark, sculpted chin and long, black dreadlocks. Soon, Tosen Kaname appeared, the former taicho of the 9th division, his unseeing eyes staring straight ahead. Beside him was another familiar figure. Tosen took a step with her, the Garuganta closing behind the two as they continued walking towards a destination that only one could guess. The usual Shinigami outfit Tosen had worn had been discarded for a long white cloak that left his arms bare. He wore black gloves that reached his elbows, his zanpakuto held carefully in his hands. His hair, which had been up so long ago, was no down, almost as if a sign from his lowered position—taicho to traitor. His eyes narrowed, focused on a familiar, disturbing reiatsu, the person beside him expression unchanging.

* * *

"Finally! This is the best, ain't it Shinigami!" Grimmjow shouted, laughing maniacally. "Now finally you're someone worth killin'!" Ichigo fought inwardly with himself, berating himself about the shallow wound and the looming threat of his other self—his Hollow counterpart.

"Oi. Don't stand there like a lazy-a** Shinigami." Grimmjow warned. "Now…it's my turn." His hand on his zanpakuto, he began to draw his weapon, a malicious smile drawn upon his face before a hand stopped his. Ichigo and Grimmjow stared in shock.

"Put your blade back where it belongs Grimmjow," Tosen warned, his eyebrows scrunched up at his nose.

"This isn't the time for play," Hinata stated. In the short period of time, her bangs had grown, covering most of her eyes though the cold gaze had not been deterred.

"Tosen! Hinata!" Grimmjow recognized. "What the f*** are you two doing here?"

"Do you not know?" Hinata questioned. "Why bother asking?"

"Aizen-sama has discovered your trip into the Human world, bringing five other Arrancar who are all dead now," Tosen said coldly. "This is a violation of your orders."

"You have to realize that Aizen-sama is livid right now," Hinata warned. "He is not pleased at all." The two stood, backs to Grimmjow. Hinata looked down at Ichigo with a cool expression while Tosen stood irritably away from the two.

"We're going. Your punishment will be delivered in Hueco Mundo," Tosen ordered. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed, annoyance flittering through his face.

"Fine. Let's go," he agreed.

"Oi! Matte!" Ichigo shouted. "Where are you going?"

"Isn't it obvious? Baka," Grimmjow called back. "I'm leaving. I'm going back to Hueco Mundo."

"What the h311 do you think you're doing? Suddenly you come here and pick a bunch of fights, but don't finish them? Get down here!" Ichigo demanded furiously. "The winner of this battle hasn't been decided yet!"

" 'The winner still has not been decided' you say?" Grimmjow repeated. "Give me a break. Even without declaring a winner, it's clear that the one who has left with their life barely intact today is you Shinigami," Grimmjow insulted, his gaze furious.

"It's time to go back," Hinata ordered calmly. She tore her gaze from Ichigo, walking towards the opening Garuganta.

"That move you just used hurts your own body like h311. I know just by how you look. You can probably fire only a few more of those," Grimmjow observed, ignoring the warning Hinata had given him. "However, even if you could fire those things at me forever, there is no hope of beating me in my released state."

"Released state…?" Ichigo wondered in shock.

"Remember my name and hope you never have to hear it a second time," Grimmjow warned. "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. Don't forget it. The next time you hear this name, it will be your end Shinigami." He stepped into the Garuganta, disappearing along with Hinata and Tosen. Ichigo stared at the previously occupied space in shock, fear and confusion replacing the dark rage that had consumed him before. Slowly, Renji appeared behind him, blood dripping from a shallow head wound.

"Did he leave…to Hueco Mundo?" he asked. "And did you win?"

"I lost," Ichigo answered honestly.

"Dumba**. You're still alive, aren't you? Isn't it the same thing?" Renji questioned.

"Don't bother lying to me," Ichigo muttered. "If you were in my position, I doubt you'd be able to say that. I can't protect anyone. I can't heal the injured. I really lost…" There was a pause.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo muttered, rolling the name off of his tongue with disdain.

* * *

The aftermath was obvious. Jinta and Ururu were back in the store, one cowering and the other putting on a brave front, with the person in front of them, arm injured.

"Gomennasai," Ururu apologized.

"It's nothing," Hikari excused. She patted Ururu's head good-naturedly. "You're fine and that's all that matters."

"You always act too strong," Jinta complained, hiding his worry underneath. Hikari beamed.

"Arigato," she thanked Jinta. "You always worry so much. The two of you be good, ok? I need to be getting home." She turned away from them, opening the door of the dark store.

"Your injury-"

"I'll heal it when I get home," Hikari cut Ururu off. She turned back to them. "It's no worry at all. Really. So don't make that face." Hikari smiled one last time before leaving, closing the door behind herself.

* * *

Renji, Ichigo, Tatsuki, Rangiku, and the mostly-healed Hitsugaya crowded around Rukia who was in terrible condition, sweat lining her face as Orihime tried to heal her. She threw a glance at Ichigo, looking at the soft eyes that had lost something, but gained another. Then, she averted her eyes, turning back to the task at hand.

"Welcome home Grimmjow," Aizen welcomed pleasantly, an odd cold permeating the air.

"What's wrong?" Tosen asked, tense. "Shouldn't you apologize to Aizen-sama?"

"Iie," Grimmjow denied.

"You-"

"It's fine Kaname," Aizen cut off. "After all, I'm not even the least bit upset."

"Aizen-sama!" Tosen tried to protest.

"Judging from his previous actions, it seems fit that such a fiery spirit would take responsibility in his actions," Aizen's eyes narrowed. "Or am I mistaken, Grimmjow?"

"You are," Grimmjow impudently answered. A hand grabbed his collar angrily. Grimmjow turned with irritation to Tosen.

"What do you want?" he questioned.

"Aizen-sama, I request permission to execute him," Tosen yelled angrily.

"The way I see it, you just don't like me and that's all there is to it. Is it alright for such an unification officer to do so?" Grimmjow asked confidently.

"I simply have no tolerance to those who cause discord within the group," Tosen defended.

"For the group's sake?" Grimmjow questioned.

"For Aizen-sama's sake," Tosen answered.

"Ha. Never missing a chance to bring up your righteous morale s***," Grimmjow noted.

"Hai. Moral justice—the thing you lack highly in. Without it, it is no different from senseless murder," Tosen muttered, his hand on his zanapakuto, the blade glinting. "However, murder in the name of justice is righteous." Blood flew, a small object flying into the air. Grimmjow began screaming, in fear, in anger, in disbelief. His arm landed a few yards behind him.

"Hado #54 Haien," Tosen spoke, a purple mass flying from his arm's swing and incinerating Grimmjow's arm without remorse. Grimmjow began cursing loudly, holding onto his bleeding limb with a great ferocity.

"You-!" Grimmjow lunged at Tosen, drawing his zanpakuto.

"Freeze," Hinata ordered, one hand stopping his.

"If you decide to assault Kaname there, then I'm afraid that there is no way I can let you leave alive," Aizen threatened, his eyes cold now. Grimmjow left, boiling in his anger.

"Still playin' aroun' wit' 'our subordinates I see," a familiar voice hissed. "What a sad disposition."

"So you were watching Gin," Aizen recognized. The familiar Shinigami garb was no longer shown on the traitor, but rather a large flowing white cloak, his arms invisible, the hilt poking through.

"Actin' all high 'nd mighty like tha', he shouldn't 'a' been surprised tha' Kaname would get all angry like tha'. He should 'a' known," Gin stated, his tone rather neutral.

"I wonder," Aizen thought aloud.

"What would that be?" Hinata asked him, following Aizen faithfully.

"Wha' 'bout those five Arrancar?" Gin asked.

"It's no problem for Aizen-sama," Hinata stated confidently, one hand on her hip.

"She's right. After all, they were only Gillian," Aizen reminded.

* * *

_The vibrations have stopped. The enemy must have…_

Uryu jumped, dodging the arrow that nearly pierced him, his hands removed from the window glass, his only connection outside.

"Does the fighting of the Shinigami interest you that much?" his father asked, his gleaming outfit all the more ominous in the dark.

"What are you talking about?" Uryu questioned. "The only thing I'm interested in is if this place will really bring my powers back or not."

"You don't believe me?" his father questioned.

"There is much to be doubted," Uryu answered.

"This is a hidden chamber made of reika silver and reika glass. If your arrows destroy it…" his father trailed off.

"So if I keep doing this forever, will my powers really return?" Uryu questioned again, recalling the helplessness he felt, the humiliation as he could only stand back and not do a single thing against the upcoming enemies.

"Absolutely," his father confirmed, suddenly only a few inches from him, his glasses glinting against the silvery moonlight. "That is provided, you stay alive."

Outside, a phone vibrated for the umpteenth time.

* * *

"She healed?" Renji asked Orihime.

"I'm totally recovered in such a short time!" Rukia noticed in surprise, sitting up slowly, her gigai worrying beside her. "Arigato Inoue. You really went out of your way to help us."

"It's nothing!" she denied. She looked at Tatsuki with worried eyes.

"You better Rukia?" Ichigo called, his eyes forlorn.

"What's with the face?" Rukia asked dryly. "You feeling obligation for my wounds? Don't! My injuries are my problems. I'm not weak so I don't need protection. Don't go blaming yourself with that face of yours."

"Ah," Ichigo could only say.

"If it's about the Hollow residing inside of you, you should probably ask Urahara about it," Rukia advised, a softer look on her face. "He trained you so he should know something."

"Asking Urahara-san…?" Ichigo thought aloud. "I don't think so. I know that he knows without my word. Knowing that, if he had a solution, he would have definitely come to me already. But he didn't, which shows he has no idea. He was nice enough to train me and I'm thankful, but I don't think I'll bother him anymore. Questioning him like that only gives false hope." Hikari walked up, staring at all of them, the gash in her arm seeping blood onto her shirt.

"What's with this mood?" she asked, her face contorted with confusion.

"Hikari-chan!" Tatsuki and Orihime shouted at once, looking at her wound.

"Oh this?" Hikari gestured. "This is nothing. It'll be better in no time. I've broken, dislocated, and fractured too many bones to count. As if a large gash makes a difference." Orihime immediately began to heal her shoulder, worry plastered onto her face. Tatsuki frowned, her face displaying her fear, confusion, her insecurity. Hikari softened. She took Orihime and Tatsuki by the arm.

"Come on. I've got a story to tell. You too Ichi-kun," she called, jumping into a tree before jumping to the ground, her shoulder wound already gone. She lifted her hands up and caught Orihime as Tatsuki followed her path, Ichigo jumping down after. She waited for all the Shinigami to arrive before taking them to her home. She made sure to clean their wounds and sat Orihime and Tatsuki in the living room during that time. She fed all of them as if nothing serious was happening, the usual smile and the wonderful cooking that somehow was tasteless that day. They all swallowed it down, ignoring the bandages that still wrapped around shallow wounds uncomfortably. During that time, she sat in the living room, whispering a tragic story to Orihime, Tatsuki, and Ichigo, apologies streaming from her mouth as tears dripped from her eyes. Ichigo left without a word, his eyebrows furrowed, Orihime and Tatsuki leaving soon after making sure that Hikari was okay.

Division E. members began to swarm in.

"I smell food," TenTen hummed, picking up the last of the soup.

"Aw! No fair!" Naruto complained.

"Ladies first!" Sakura reminded, smacking his head. Hikari served all of them with a smile, no one minding the blood.

"Are you guys used to this?" Renji asked them, referring to the blood and the fatigue.

"Yeah," Neji answered, his face solemn. He turned to get his share of food without another word.

"I'm turning in for the night," Renji excused.

"Us too," Ikkaku said, Yumichika following.

"I think I'm going to sleep. A girl needs her beauty sleep," Rangiku said, leaving with a yawn.

"We'll be going," Rukia excused herself politely, holding back a yawn.

"Don't be afraid to call for anything," Hikari said with a smile, waving them good night as they climbed the stairs. "What about you Toshiro-kun?"

"I'll hit the hay too," he decided. He stood up, holding back a wince as he got up and climbed the steps slowly. When she was sure that they left, she turned to the rest of them, the Division E. members.

"I'll take a shower. Come on up after. Keep it neat," she ordered calmly, her usually kind eyes looking lost and unsure. She paused at the base of the steps. "I'll tell you the whole truth."

* * *

**It's been so long! I'm sorry about that. Please forgive me! The next chapter, I plan on bringing everything to light. Thank you for sticking with me so long and reviews are loved. **


	28. Need For Death

**Sorry it's been so long. My sister has been getting me interested in other writing styles. I don't own Naruto or Bleach. I wish I did though. Enjoy!**

* * *

~No One's PoV~

The room was a light lavender color with a round white rug over the light carpet floor. The bed was of a dark wood with light purple sheets like the wall color. The desk was mostly bare a startling white wood and dark wooden chair while she had multiple bookcases against the walls, piled high with books of music, old classics such as those of Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes, photo albums, etc. On each shelf there was a small plant, a flower or tiny tree, which was obviously well grown. A large window was on one side of the room, opposite the bed, white curtains shading the room from outside view.

Naruto and Kiba were bickering with Sakura on the floor of the room, Neji and TenTen beside them, making small talk. Sasuke and Shikamaru sat in the corner, leaning against the wall in silence, while Asuma and Kurenai sat on the desk chair and desk, talking with hushed whispers. Temari leaned alone against the wall, silent, Haku sitting beside her. They had all changed, grown older, a startling obvious gap between the people they once were.

They were all at least a good 10 years older in looks. That was one fact. Naruto and Sakura were wearing identical rings, another fact shared by Neji and TenTen as well as Kurenai and Asuma. They were all in gigai at the moment and it was obvious.

Naruto was wearing the Konoha headband on his forehead, his blonde locks longer, almost covering the carved metal. He was wearing a pair of casual, baggy jeans, ripped in the knees with a few chains hanging from his pants. His shirt was a large white shirt that read "Got Ramen?" in large bold letters, a bowl of ramen under it. A ring was wrapped around his ring finger, a plain gold band that sparkled in the light. Around his wrist was a small bracelet, a thin chain with a wooden charm of a flower, carved so that little indents were made as if something was floating inside of it, living as his laugh continuously was.

Sakura was wearing a red ribbon in her now-long hair. She was also wearing jeans, but they were lighter and tighter against her figure. She was wearing a pink tank top, the lace of a white undershirt seen near her chest. She had two pairs of piercings on each ear, each one a various colored stud and had an identical ring on her own ring finger. Around her neck was a thin, chain necklace with two charms. One was a metal leaf, the sign of Konoha, the other was a wooden flame, burning as if alive, ready to jump at any time, as the way her eyes flickered quickly from side to side nervously.

Kiba had baggy army pants on, a short-sleeved orange shirt to go with hit. A sleeveless jacket was zipped over it, covering the front and back. He had the hood pulled over his head, his brown locks recently cut short. He had on a sweatband that was striped with yellow, white, and green. Around his neck, a necklace, a strong black cord, held a charm like Naruto's, the pattern sharper. Wilder. A large white dog, Akamaru sat on his lap, a chain necklace around his neck with the Konoha insigma on it. The duo was talking animatedly, but even a fool could read the tension.

Neji was wearing casual jeans and a simple brown shirt. His long hair was tied back, his head proudly blank for all to see. There was a ring around his finger, his hand clasped with TenTen's, which held the same ring, a pure silver that had a heart carved into the center. The same black stringed necklace with the wooden circle charm was around his neck, the familiar windy pattern carved into it gently, as if a representation of his soft voice that tensely crossed the room.

TenTen was wearing jeans much like Sakura's, but with rips all around. Her shirt was a short-sleeved white shirt, a small flower pattern along the hem. Her hair was up in two buns as usual, but some hair had been freed, letting it strand her face with two white ribbons. She had a single pair of dangling earrings, a pair of silver studs. She wore a flower-shaped wooden necklace, the Konoha leaf made of metal beside it. Her voice was bright and cheery, her face smiling though nervousness radiated off of her in waves.

Sasuke sat emotionlessly in his black jeans and white shirt. They were both plain, nothing decorative of special. His hair hadn't changed all that much besides the obvious increase in length. He had a black headband around his forehead, a blank slate. A wooden flame charm hung on a single dangling earring, the charm carved uniquely with more flames within it, half of it open to the air surrounding it. He sat without worry, confusion marring his handsome features instead.

Shikamaru was wearing knee-length black shorts with a simple grey shirt. He had a pair of silver earrings on, the shape of the Konoha symbol, his hair in a ponytail like usual, obviously recently cut. A bracelet with a wooden flower, half-air like Sasuke's, hung around his wrist. He had a ring on his finger, a plain silver ring on it, which he held up to his lips, his face scrunched up in thought.

Asuma and Kurenai had on identical rings, a simple golden band with a pattern of various lines, curves, and dots, a flower in the center. The two were wearing jeans and though Kurenai wore a red shirt, Asuma wore a navy blue one. Kurenai's hair had grown and though Asuma hadn't aged, Kurenai obviously had, looking a few years older than Asuma at the least, her hair longer and the more obvious formings of wrinkles. They both had on a pair of earrings, Asuma with silver studs and Kurenai with golden ones. A white headband kept Kurenai's bangs out of her face while Asuma had the Konoha headband on his forehead. Asuma wore a wooden circle charm around his wrist, his surroundings reflecting in it. Kurenai had a similar bracelet, her wooden charm a flower with waves carved into it lightly, half-expecting to see water sprouting from it at any given moment.

Temari had on a casual, off-the-shoulder white shirt and a black skirt, her hair, though longer, was in the familiar four-ponytail style. She had three pairs of piercings in her ear, each of them a small hoop that varied. She wore a thin chain necklace that held a flower half-carved inward, nothing stopping a casual viewer from seeing the other side. She had a few clips in her hair and a black sweatband around her wrist, but she seemed indifferent at the moment, silently sitting there.

Haku sat beside her with black, torn jeans and a light blue shirt that had penguins walking around the bottom. His hair had been pulled into a bun, a wooden chopstick stuck into his hair. He had a wooden necklace around his neck, rubbing his thumb over the wooden water drop, tracing the waving indents within it.

The door to the bathroom opened, Hikari stepping out with the towel over her hair, wearing a pair of white shorts and a sky blue tank top. Her hair was a different shade, a closer to a blue or purple, unlike the pure black it had been before. From behind her, a familiar man stepped out, his face covered in bandages with a blank white headband around his forehead. His spiky hair had been shorn short and a necklace of a water drop hung around his neck. He was wearing black pants with a grey shirt that stretched across his large shoulders, white letters spelling out "What's up?" Hikari lowered the towel completely, letting it rest on her shoulders before putting her finger to her eye, pulling out a purple contact. Her silver eye flashed for a moment before she pulled the other one out.

"I suppose I should explain now that everyone is here," she stated, sitting down on the bed. She looked around at the shocked faces with a soft smile.

"I guess you _all_ deserve an explanation about why I'm here," she murmured, closing her eyes as Hinata in the flesh.

* * *

~Hitsugaya's PoV~

My eyes widened, shock running through me. Going towards the stairs, I hadn't expected nearly tripping, pushing the door open the slightest bit as I watched Hinata emerge from the bathroom with a familiar face, Momochi-san. She glided over to the bed, my breath caught in my throat as she spoke, the nostalgia pulsing against my chest.

"Where should I start?" she asked. I got up, pain pounding against my ribs. I ignored their pleas, leaning on the wall by the door, leaning for a better look.

"The very beginning," Momochi spoke.

"You know about this?" Uzumaki asked, surprise painting over his face. "Does that mean Asuma-sensei, you-"

"Naru-kun," Hinata scolded, her tone soft. "Ha-kun, Za-kun, and I planned everything out. There is no need to go around pointing fingers."

"Sit down," Haruno muttered.

"Wha-? Demo Sakura-chan," Uzumaki complained.

"Sit down!" Haruno roared. "I'm here for an explanation as to why my best friend turned traitor and wouldn't see my face for years and you're not going to stop me!"

"Hai," Uzumaki agreed, surrendering.

"Now your explanation better be good," Haruno demanded, throwing a sharp glance at Hinata. Hinata gave a soft smile.

"Yeah, I know where to start now," she nearly whispered, my ears straining to hear her. "I'll start at the beginning, the beginning where it all began.

"There once was a land where hatred was common," she began. I recognized the story, the familiar way she traced over the words and the emotions that lined it: happiness, sorrow, bitterness, surprise, regret. There were so many things that were unknown to me, so I simply listened, ignoring the voice of the taicho in my head that told me that I should hurriedly turn her in. "It was so common that calamity broke out. Fighting, stealing, and betraying. Those were only a few of the problems throughout the land. The founders of this land even created a system of economy based upon it, fighting that is. The people of the land were hardened and so were their hearts. They saw no evil within, but life.

"Despite all this calamity, kindness still existed, seeking solace in every heart possible. In several generations in particular, it created a special round of homes. Within one generation was a bunny, a dog, a kikai beetle, a fox, a cat, a wolf, a boar, and a butterfly existed.

"They all interacted with each other and worked together well in the schools to learn to become what the lands called a hero. A shinobi. A kunoichi. As they graduated, their dolphin-sensei split them up into teams of three as the leaders had decreed long ago and as how the current monkey leader followed them. Leading them was a crow, a bear, and a panther." She paused, mulling over her chosen words. I could faintly recall differences so far, but nothing major, things that simply changed, as she had also changed. How long, I wondered, had she mulled over these words, imagining the reunion with her dear comrades? She began again and I snapped to attention.

"The bunny, the dog, and the beetle learned to work hard together with the bear, the motherly being they loved, and they were known as Team 8. The deer, the boar, and the butterfly worked with the panther, the rough yet rather good-natured sensei, as they were known as Team 10. Meanwhile, Team 7 was made of the fox, the cat, and the wolf, the crow leading them all the way.

"Team 8 was well known for their espionage skills, their tactics in uncovering the truth. Team 7 was well-rounded, though they were never known for their subtlety or patience. Team 10 was a knock-out team, able to create a plan quickly and put it into action just as fast, the perfect clean-up group.

"Together, they worked hard and despite their differences, came to care for each other. They encountered tough situations and deadly enemies, succeeding and facing the harsh consequences when they didn't. They mourned and laughed together. They were known as the Rookie 9.

"I can only tell of the bunny's story completely, so you'll have to pardon me. The bunny was raised in a family of hawks and eagles, the hawks having served the eagles for generations and protected the sacred techniques of the family. It was a cold, hard family with high expectations and low tolerance in kindness. It was into this family that that the bunny was born. She was supposed to be an eagle, and one of the best as the heiress as well.

"Alas, she had been born soft-hearted with an unsteady amount of power. She attempted her best to hold pride for her family, but the road was long and hard. At a young age, she had many attempts and kidnapping and she grew up unconfident and shy, often wishing to be another child out on the street instead of the 'Great O-Hime-sama.' It was with this attitude that she first met the beetle, dog, and bear.

"The beetle was strong and silent; he calculated things greatly and took his time to rationally think things through. The dog was fierce and loyal, often charging headfirst into things and forcing things to work out. The two were like older brothers, often threatening to beat and actually beating others for petty reasons and serious reasons. The bear was much like a mother, giving advice on a range of subjects.

"When they were first put together, there were terrible results. The bear was new at her job, inexperienced and often confused. The beetle was unused to working with others, too unused to depending on others. The dog was too brash to try and work out the team arrangements, too unused to it, too prideful. The bunny…was too scared, scared of trying, scared of rejection, scared of all the negative possibilities.

"However, time passed. They passed many missions together, learning about each other and how to work together. The beetle learned to push the dog down to his place when too rude or too rash. The dog learned how far to push the bear's temper. The bear learned what to say to the bunny and the bunny learned what the beetle wanted to say. It was peaceful in a way, the warless time. There were occasional spats, but they diminished.

"That is until a test, to grow in power, in rank, to earn recognition and get more pay. However, it was dangerous. The test changed everything." She paused, her eyes glancing everywhere, gauging their reactions and gathering her wits. She thought for a moment longer before continuing.

"The bunny had to fight her own brethen, her beloved cousin the hawk. His teammates were the chipmunk and panda, led by the squirrel. He was an eagle in every right but birth and the bunny knew that. However, she fought for the freedom she strived for, the hope that she clung to…and lost. What happened after that…

"There was a snake…who was banned for his poison that could kill and manipulate. He chose to return during that test, his eyes set on a new target, the wolf. Unlike other snakes, he could take another animal's body as his own and he was quite eager to take the wolf's powerful senses. He aligned himself with another land, using the tanuki, the lion, and the jaguar with their leader the tiger, as a distraction. However, the monkey leader and the other sensei quickly caught on and he fled, but not before leaving a present with the wolf. The wolf…left. The bunny had been close with him you see. The two had been childhood friends and she was hurt. Pained that she couldn't stop him or do anything to alleviate his burden. The fox and cat were devastated, and chased after him with the hawk, the dog, the butterfly, the deer, and later on, the eagle's teammate, chipmunk.

"They all came back in failure, wounded grievously on the verge of death. Three other contestants from another land, the tanuki, the lion, and the tiger, now allies with the Rookie 9, came to help but even then, injuries were plenty. Fox, one who escaped with few physical injuries, but had suffered the most mentally after a battle with the wolf himself, went with a toad and they searched for a certain slug to replace their fallen monkey leader. She was rumored to be the greatest medic in the world and she was. Victorious, the slug became their leader and healed all of them. The bunny, in shock, agitated her new heart disease and had a brush with death, the voice calling out to her with dark undertones.

"After that, the toad took the fox out on a journey for strength. They would visit every now and then; each time the fox had grown much more than the last. The cat and boar had become disciples of the slug. The hawk was growing quickly, soon to become a true eagle even through birth. The deer had already since long been promoted. The dog and beetle were soon well known for their reconnaissance prowess. The panda and chipmunk soon made names for themselves in their unique field of battle. The butterfly had soon caught up with the deer, eager to meet with his friend. The sensei had long since been well known and the shinobi of the other village soon made names for themselves in every town, rewards over their heads and praises following their footsteps. The wolf, now a traitor, even made a name for himself in every bingo book, rewards so high that it seemed unbelievable. It had seemed as if everyone was moving forward…Everyone but the bunny…However, one day, she gave her life to save the visiting fox from a truly greater evil—nothing.

"Nothing killed her, taking her life and thrusting her into a new place with new laws and such, and entirely different world. She was frightened, worried. She had learned she had been loved in her home before and she missed the nostalgic place. She made a better name for herself in the new place, however. She missed her old home deeply, but she could not return. She accepted it, but she had changed. So her plans also changed…" She stopped there, unsure of what to say next.

"Stop talking in riddles," Nara grumbled out, head in his hands. "Tell us the truth. Don't beat around the bush."

"Oi. Where do you think you're going off like that?" Momochi-san demanded. "Do you know how much she-"

"Don't," she muttered. "Sumimasen. It is rather difficult to speak again after so long…I shall tell you straight-forwardly from now on, everything; the reasons for everything." I sucked in a breath, feeling a sharp pain in my rib. I slid down the wall, leaning against it as I listened more, ignoring the pain, desperate to hear more of her voice, to remember her face and her expressions, resisting the urge to hold her in my arms again.

"Ha-kun," she called. "Where did we leave off again?"

"You came," he answered.

"Oh right. As you all know, I entered the Shinigami Academy even before entering the Rukongai. The Shinigami who found me gave me special…help. Anyways, there I met a friend and we…shared a zanpakuto. Don't get me wrong. I had my own zanpakuto already, so having two wasn't part of my plan. We were really close so she used the zanpakuto. That was Iyashi no Hikari. My own was Yogan no Udewa," she murmured, her eyes soft.

"Demo…there was a training session one day and…a real Hollow snuck in," she breathed out, her eyes misty. "And it found us."

"Do you mean…?" Haruno half-whispered in disbelief. Hinata nodded slowly, her hands covering her nose and mouth as tears threatened to fall out of her eyes. She wiped them.

"I still get teary thinking about it. Sumimasen. I lost her that day. Her name was Hikari. I…took her appearance as my disguise in the Human World to remember her," Hinata said, wiping another tear with a soft smile. "Soon after that though, I was…passed around divisions I suppose you could call it. I was not part of a specific division, but I was a part of every division. I sparred with some of them, teaching others. I healed people with the 4th Division and did paperwork for some of the taicho. It was nice like that for a while…A lot of…personal…stuff happened. It wasn't pretty, but I got through it slowly. I caused quite some trouble." She laughed.

"Yama-soutaicho was always so furious at me, but he was also very kind.," she said, smiling softly in reminisce. "I was actually treated very preciously. It was different from Konoha. Konoha was very secretive about it, cautious and worrisome, but in the Seireitei, it was…different. I cannot truly describe it. Both were precious and unique. They cannot be compared and I will never forget them, but they were different and it left me breathless." She paused, her eyes darting everywhere again.

"Calm down gaki," Momochi-san comforted, lightly patting her on the back. She took a deep breath.

"A lot of things happened and eventually, I made my own division, Division E. I worked hard and that dream was soon real. Ha-ku and Za-kun were the first to come. Asuma-sensei came later. What is important is what happened during those tests though," Hinata muttered, her eyes looking faraway to that day. "My heart condition never disappeared. There had been a mistake in the operation and I was very lucky to have survived at all, but it stuck with me and I still have it right now." She breathed, ignoring their worried gazes.

"During the trials, my heart condition acted up and the tests were rescheduled. The retest…opened my eyes to something. Someone or some people were acting, hiding their darker natures under a façade, a cloak that was well-sewn," Hinata recounted, her eyes full of fury as her lips were pursed. "I built up my power and after some time, Ha-kun, Za-kun, and I had a plan to take him down and it was already rolling…" She breathed shakily.

"But it was risky…too risky," she muttered softly.

"What are you talking about?" Haruno asked, her eyes sharp.

"The plan needed an infiltrator," Hinata explained. "Someone to find Aizen's plans and quickly plan counters to each of them…The greatest threat was death. It was determined to be a suicide position."

"You didn't," Haruno gaped, her eyes filling with tears as fear climbed up my chest.

"I did," she answered softly. "I became the traitor. Ha-kun and Za-kun had other purposes in the plan, and there was no doubt that I was most suited for the role as a former member of Team 8."

"What's with that?" Inuzuka asked.

"Hm?" Hinata questioned.

"What do you mean by 'former,' huh?" Inuzuka asked, grabbing her collar. Momochi-san had his zanpakuto out in a flash, the cold metal lightly pressed against his neck.

"You think we volunteered her? Huh punk?" Momochi-san demanded of Inuzuka.

"Calm down Kiba-kun, Za-kun. I mean what I said. I no longer have the right to be part of Team 8," Hinata said, closing her eyes slowly.

"Sit down," Yuhi demanded, her fist clenched. Inuzuka let go, biting his lip as his shoulders shook in anger. Momochi-san sheathed his zanpakuto, his face unreadable.

"Continue," Sarutobi urged coolly.

"The explanation is rather long, but to shorten it, I split my being into two. The one with Aizen is me and the one here is me," she said.

"Nani?" Nara asked, mouth agape. I tried to calm my beating heart.

"I myself do not know the full process, but when one half dies, the other will become complete once again," she said with a shrug. "Why I called you here though isn't just to explain this. I'll be blunt. I'm dying."

"Dying? We're spirits! How can we be 'dying' when we're already dead?" Uzumaki demanded.

"Baka!" Haruno insulted, smacking the blond on his head. "Plenty of troops die and you're wondering that now?"

"The point is," Hinata stressed. "The plan is in jeopardy so I must make this request." She bowed her head. "If I die, I must request the defeat if not death of Aizen."

"That's it?" Nara asked. Hinata raised her head in confusion.

"You're always part of us!" Inuzuka declared, lifting her up.

"Wah!" she squeaked.

"Come on. We may not be your blood-related family like Neji over there, but we'll always love you," Inuzuka comforted with a smile.

"We will follow you anywhere Hinata-sama," Hyuga voiced.

"Neji's right you know," TenTen pointed out. "We're from Konoha. We all help each other out." Hinata put her face in her hands, tears leaking out for minutes, each drip was an attack on my heart.

It was my failure. My inability to recognize our enemy. And now…She was crying…

Slowly, she wiped away her tears. She smiled, an expression that just broke my heart and everyone else's.

"There's one more reason I called you guys. I need you guys to carry out a mission I couldn't complete," she announced to them softly.

"What would that be?" Nara asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I need you guys…to die," Hinata mumbled.

"Wha-?" Uzumaki got out before a quick blow to his torso had blood splattering everywhere as his body fell lifelessly to the floor. The others in the room were quick to get ready to battle, but Hinata was faster and all of them were down and done before long. She stood in the middle of the room, blood on her clothes and face as she stood motionlessly. Momochi-san sat in the corner, silent even though he had done nothing to help either side in the bloody slaughter. Momochi's corpse was in the corner, betrayed by the very people he had planned with. My body was frozen against my place, fear corrupting my mind and confusion wracking my brain. I calmed my head and took a cautious step back, reaching for my zanpakuto's hilt before remembering that I had left him back in the bedroom.

I stumbled as I turned around and held my breath, waiting to be discovered as my body neared the ground. Just as I almost reached the ground, an unearthly scream emerged from her lips, painful tears rolling down her cheeks, and I landed without detection. She breathed hard and Momochi-san didn't make a single move. Rising slowly, I took slow steps backward, ready to flee and warn the others. I turned around and the last thing I saw were a pair of tearful, lavender eyes.

* * *

**Sorry! It's been so long! I hope this chapter makes up for it (even if it's short) and, hopefully, everything will be explained at the end. Reviews = Smiles.**


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